Paul McCartney led an all-star lineup for the final episode of The Late Show as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump.
But one A-lister who eluded the comic to the end was the pope, whom Colbert, a devout Catholic, had long touted as his dream guest.
“The pope, who was definitely my guest tonight, has canceled,” Colbert joked, blaming a dispute over hotdogs before McCartney appeared to rapturous cheers.
The show, which Colbert has hosted since 2015, was axed after he mocked the broadcaster for a $16 million settlement with Trump for allegedly “maliciously” editing an interview with his Democratic election rival Kamala Harris.
Colbert called it a “big fat bribe.”
