- Primary Subject: The series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Key Update: After an epic eleven-year run, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert concluded with a historic star-studded final episode.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: May 22, 2026
- Quick Answer: Sir Paul McCartney was Stephen Colbert's final guest, closing the historic Late Show finale with a star-studded celebration and a performance of "Hello, Goodbye."
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended its epic eleven-year run with a star-studded finale and a legendary musician as his last-ever guest.
After several months of anticipation, the beloved late-night show has reached its final episode. Fans have been wondering what Colbert and his team have in store for the show's finale and which celebrity will be the final guest he interviews.
As it turns out, not only did Colbert manage to recruit a legendary icon to become his final guest, but the episode itself is also full of cameo appearances from well-known stars.
Which Legendary Icon Was the Final Guest of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?
Before the guest was introduced, the interview segment began with a joke: Pope Leo XIV was supposed to be the final guest on the show, but he wouldn't leave his dressing room because the staff failed to meet his request.
Colbert previously expressed interest in interviewing the Pope on his show, but unfortunately, it did not happen during his run.
Fortunately, the show managed to bring in a legendary icon to become the final guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Sir Paul McCartney.
As long-time fans know, McCartney has a well-known history with the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the show was being taped, since it is the same studio that housed the iconic appearances of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, which launched the so-called "Beatlemania" in America.
Dropping by the show under the guise of just "doing some errands," McCartney gifted Colbert a framed, signed photo of The Beatles’ legendary Ed Sullivan Theater performance. Colbert playfully ribbed McCartney about the inscription, joking, "You’re better than The Beatles."
When asked for his memories of that historic day, McCartney recalled the deafening screams from the balcony and praised Sullivan as a "really cool guy." He added, "We’d never been to America. People said this is like the biggest show. It was fantastic."
McCartney also sneaked in a subtle political commentary while reflecting on the country's cultural impact: “America’s where all the music we loved came from. The land of the free, the greatest democracy. Still is.”
The rest of the segment followed Colbert’s classic interview style. McCartney plugged his latest album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, shared stories of his Liverpool childhood, joked about calling out Apple's Tim Cook over constant iPhone updates, and discussed Paul Mescal portraying him in the upcoming Beatles biopic.
To close out the historic final episode, McCartney delivered the show's ultimate musical performance with The Beatles’ 1967 hit "Hello, Goodbye," as Colbert’s friends, family, and the audience flooded the stage to celebrate.
Which Other Celebrities Showed Up in the Final Episode?
Aside from McCartney, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, and Tig Notaro also made cameo appearances in the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during the opening monologue and "Meanwhile" segment.
Colbert’s fellow late-night show hosts, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, and Andy Cohen also showed up in a pre-recorded segment, as well as Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Frank Costello showed up to perform his 1977 track “Jump Up,” featuring Colbert on vocals, former bandleader Jon Batiste on piano, and current bandleader Louis Cato backing Costello on guitar.
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