Stephen Colbert Teases New Venture After 'Late Show' Exit: 'This Isn't Goodbye'
Stephen Colbert Teases New Venture After 'Late Show' Exit: 'This Isn't Goodbye'
Valerie Nome Sat, May 23, 2026 at 9:25 AM UTC
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The finale of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired Thursday, May 21.@LateShowWithStephenColbert/YouTube
Stephen Colbert retained his sense of humor until the end of the Late Show With Stephen Colbertfinale, which aired Thursday, May 21.
The late-night host, 62, poked fun at his predicament.
"We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years," he said of the Ed Sullivan Theater. "You can't take this for granted. Though, actually, technically, our first show, back in July of 2015, was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of 12 people."
Colbert showed a photo of himself sitting on wicker furniture, then said, "And show business being what it is these days, that's probably where you'll see me next."
Stephen Colbert Joked About His Plans Post-Show
Stephen Colbert pondered, 'How do you start an OnlyF---?'@LateShowWithStephenColbert/YouTube
The comedian admitted he would miss the "First Drafts" segment during which he showed a finished greeting card along with the first draft, which read, "This isn't goodbye, it's see you later!" The original read "This isn't goodbye. How do you start an OnlyF---?"
While he didn't directly mention Donald Trump, he made light of his cabinet choices citing Hanatvirus, saying the country's response is now being led Dr. Brian Christine, a "penile implant specialist and vaccine skeptic."
He yukked, "Clearly, this guy is not a fan of little p-----."
Paul McCartney Was Stephen Colbert's Final Guest
Paul McCartney performed the 1967 Beatles tune 'Hello, Goodbye.'@LateShowWithStephenColbert/YouTube
Popping up in the audience were Bryan Cranston, Tim Meadows and Paul Rudd, who each asked if they could be his final guest. Ryan Reynolds was also in attendance.
Instead, the final guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was the legendary Beatles member Paul McCartney, 83, who has a new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, out May 29.
He brought him a photo of The Beatles performing at The Ed Sullivan Theatre, and Colbert joked, "To Stephen, you're better than The Beatles - Paul McCartney."
McCartney said, "It doesn't say that," but was a good sport about it.
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After an interview that covered Beatles memories and his first impressions of America, Colbert and his crew joined McCartney onstage for the final performance.
He sang The Beatles' 1967 hit "Hello, Goodbye."
Donald Trump Weighed In
Donald Trump stayed up late to post his thoughts on the final 'Late Show' on Truth Social.MEGA
Colbert's run as the host of The Late Show began in 2015, and ended May 21, 2022 in controversy.
CBS blamed financial pressures, but political fallout was insinuated.
Naturally Trump had his say, writing on Truth Social at 1:52am ET on Thursday, May 22, “Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!"
The entire 'Late Show With Stephen Colbert' set will be available to see at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago soon.@LateShowWithStephenColbert/YouTube
The prior host was of The Late Show was David Letterman, whose version ran from 1993-2015.
Miss The Late Show?
Fans yearning for more can soon visit the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago to see entire Late Show set.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
