Stephen Colbert takes final bow on 'The Late Show' with Paul McCartney as final guest
Key takeaways
- The roar erupting from the capacity audience inside the Ed Sullivan Theater when Stephen Colbert stepped on the stage of his “Late Show” for the last time made it clear that they did not want him to say goodbye.
- Colbert took his final bow as his beloved late-night show came to an end Thursday.
- Before the official start, Colbert addressed the audience as he thanked the staff, calling the show “The Joy Machine”: “We call it the Joy Machine because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine.
Host Stephen Colbert during the finale of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday. (Scott Kowalchyk /CBS) By Greg Braxton Senior Writer, Culture and Representation Follow May 21, 2026 9:29 PM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
The roar erupting from the capacity audience inside the Ed Sullivan Theater when Stephen Colbert stepped on the stage of his “Late Show” for the last time made it clear that they did not want him to say goodbye.
Colbert took his final bow as his beloved late-night show came to an end Thursday. The episode was so crammed with top celebrities who showed up to share a last moment with the comedian that it extended several minutes beyond its usual one-hour run time.