Colbert’s final – Stephen Colbert used a pope-themed fakeout in his farewell “Late Show” episode Thursday, May 21—then the real finale guest was Beatles legend Paul McCartney, at the Ed Sullivan Theater where the band first broke big in America in 1964. The show’s end comes aft
Stephen Colbert stepped out to face the cameras for the last time as “The Late Show” host, and the tension wasn’t about jokes—it was about who might walk through that studio door.
In the final moments of Thursday. May 21. after a commercial break. Colbert acted as if Pope Leo XIV was about to join him for an interview. The setup came with the kind of theatrical pause viewers had learned to expect. Then Colbert returned to reality: the pope wouldn’t be coming out of his dressing room because. as Colbert put it. “we got him the wrong snacks.”.
That was the punchline. The surprise was who answered next.
“Who’s going to be my last guest now?” Colbert asked, before Paul McCartney—seated in place as the real finale guest—turned the moment from a gag into a full-circle celebration.
Colbert had been feeding the speculation for weeks. In media interviews, he had described the pope as his “white whale” guest. Then. on the episode that marked the end of the CBS late-night franchise. Colbert delivered the line viewers had been waiting to hear: “The pope. who was definitely my guest tonight. has canceled!”.
When McCartney lifted his cue, the show pivoted—fast—into music and momentum.
McCartney’s appearance carried its own historical weight. The final “Late Show” took place at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater. the home of “The Late Show. ” and the same venue where the band made its first American performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” back in 1964. Colbert didn’t let the moment drift into trivia. McCartney simply leaned into it: “It’s always fantastic to come back here.”.
While the audience watched the finale unfold as a celebration. the bigger story sits elsewhere: the decision to end “The Late Show.” CBS has described the shutdown as “purely a financial decision.” Critics have long questioned whether the cancellation was politically motivated. and they have pointed to what the end of Colbert’s show could mean for a format that has been a television staple for decades.
Even amid that debate. Colbert leaned into a closing-night tone built on gags. cameos. and the familiar rhythm of a broadcast designed to feel like a party. The final sequence featured musical guest Elvis Costello, former band leader Jon Batiste, and current band leader Louis Cato. McCartney closed the night with a performance of “Hello, Goodbye.”.
The timing matters. Colbert’s farewell wasn’t just a lineup reveal—it was a statement that, for all the speculation about who would replace him in the story of late-night TV, the last episode would end on his terms: loud, joyful, and unmistakably live.
Stephen Colbert The Late Show Paul McCartney Ed Sullivan Theater Pope Leo XIV CBS Elvis Costello Jon Batiste Louis Cato entertainment industry late-night television financial decision