Stephen Colbert bid farewell to the the Late Show after over a decade on the air – but not without an epic final guest.
Half way through the last-ever episode, the 62-year-old host unexpectedly welcomed Beatles legend Paul McCartney, 83, to the stage.
The moment proved historic as McCartney and his Beatles bandmates – John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison – famously made their first TV appearance in the United States at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where Colbert is filmed.
Moments before McCartney’s surprise appearance, Colbert joked that Pope Leo was set to be his final guest but that he refused to leave his dressing room.
Colbert has spent nearly 11 years at the helm of The Late Show, taking over as host in September 2015 from David Letterman.
The 79-year-old launched the late-night talk show in 1993 and retired after 22 years.
A number of celebrities have helped Colbert bring the show to a close this week, including Ryan Reynolds, Jon Stewart and Steven Spielberg.
Stephen Colbert bid farewell to the the Late Show after over a decade on the air – but not without an epic final guest appearance
Just minutes before the conclusion of his last-ever episode, the 62-year-old host welcomed Beatles legend Paul McCartney , 83, to the stage
His rivals, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, will both air reruns on Thursday night out of respect for the departing star.
Colbert shockingly announced on July 17 that Paramount/CBS would not be renewing his contract after 11 years on the air, and they would end the late-night program.
At the time, the network claimed it was ‘purely a financial decision,’ but the cancellation came days after Colbert called Paramount/CBS’s $16 million lawsuit settlement with President Donald Trump ‘a big fat bribe.’
Paramount was also in the midst of a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, which requires the government approval of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Immediately after the show ends, Colbert will be hosting a Fired and Festive wrap party for the Late Show.
The audience went wild for the music legend
