Stephen Colbert opened the final episode of his long-running reign on The Late Show with a tribute to viewers, calling the programme a “joy machine” after 11 years on air.In a star-studded farewell from the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City, the 62-year-old was joined by the likes of Paul McCartney, who closed out the show with a rendition of The Beatles’ song Hello, Goodbye.Colbert said his role on the CBS talkshow was not only to recap the news, but to “feel the news” alongside them.“We call [the show] the joy machine, because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears,” Colbert said.“I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other and how much we mean to each other.”The opening tribute gave way to the show’s regular format, including his nightly monologue full of jokes about hantavirus, dancing robots and self-deprecating jokes about the next phase of his career.The opening set featured cameos from Rudd, Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Mean Girls actor Tim Meadows, who each jokingly “stormed out” when they found out they were not the show’s final guests.Colbert quipped: “A lot of people have been asking me what I plan to do after tonight, and the answer is drugs.”He added after fans booed the mention of the cancellation: “No, no, we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years. You can’t take this for granted.”His final guest, McCartney, gave Colbert a framed photo of The Beatles as a parting gift before reflecting on the band’s famous 1964 appearances at the theatre.“America was just the land of the free, the greatest democracy. Yes, that was what it was,” the famed singer said.He added: “That’s what it still is, hopefully.”McCartney was later joined by Colbert, former bandleader Jon Batiste and the entire crew as they danced through the final number.CBS and Paramount announced in July 2025 that The Late Show would end, describing the decision as “purely financial” and citing losses of up to 50 million dollars (€43 million).The cancellation sparked immediate backlash, with critics questioning whether the timing of the move was linked to Paramount seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission for a merger with Skydance.The announcement came just days after Colbert – who has been a frequent critic of US president Donald Trump – criticised parent company Paramount for its 16 million dollar settlement with Trump over claims the news programme 60 Minutes deceptively edited a 2024 Kamala Harris interview.A company statement added: “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”Other finale guests included fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon, who co-hosted a podcast called Strike Force Five during the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike.Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jon Stewart also made appearances.Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015 following the retirement of long-time host David Letterman.He rose to fame alongside Stewart on The Daily Show before hosting his long-running satirical politics show, The Colbert Report.Stewart, who appeared on its show in the final week, paid tribute to Colbert’s “epic tenure” with an Instagram throwback of the pair.Colbert’s Late Show run saw the programme lean heavily into US politics.Alongside a regular rotation of celebrities, politicians were regularly featured, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden and a 2015 appearance from Trump while running for president. – PA