The late show aired one final time on Thursday, May 21, 2026, with Stephen Colbert surprising the premiere night lineups.
The late show ended its 11-year run on CBS with Stephen Colbert, who took over the series from his predecessor, the great comedian David Letterman in 2015.
The list of distinguished guests presented themselves to Colbert to bid him farewell. The late show.
As the taping progresses, the late-night comedy host welcomes a galaxy of stars, including Paul McCartney, Ryan Reynolds and Paul Rudd.
Colbert’s final monologue was surprisingly interrupted by several guests.
The first surprise appearance was Bryan Cranston, who interrupted Colbert during his final monologue and threw his Late Show hat on stage in annoyance.
Then came Rudd, who interrupted Colbert from the audience.
“I’m just curious as my interview begins,” said Rudd, who was shocked to discover it wasn’t Coolbert’s final appearance tonight.
The monologue drama didn’t end there.
Tim Meadows sat in front of Rudd in the audience and assumed he was Colbert’s latest guest face as well.
Ryan Reynolds, in the audience, was also surprised that he couldn’t get the final guest spot. “Ouchie,” Reynolds said in surprise.
Tig Notaro also made an appearance in the theater crowd, saying. I just like attending historical events,” the actor remarked.
The monologue centered on the theme of discovering the identity of the final guest reached its climax when McCartney made an appearance.
McCartney sat on Colbert’s couch one last time.
The previous two had a long interview.
“I was just in the area, running some errands,” McCartney said while appearing on stage.
He continued: “I just remember the girls on the balcony,” McCartney recalled of his final appearance at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
To conclude, Colbert appeared in an acoustic segment, performing with Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste and Louis Cato.
After the song, McCartney took the stage to wrap things up in stunning style, performing the Beatles’ hit track. Good morning, Bye as Colbert, Batiste, Costello and Cato joined in singing.
