McCartney closed the final "Late Show" by playing the Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye" with Elvis Costello and Jon Batiste on stage, among others, before he and Colbert went backstage and pressed the light.
The fact that McCartney was the last guest has symbolic significance. "Late Show" was broadcast from the same studio in New York where the Beatles made their American television debut 62 years ago. McCartney gave Colbert a color photo from the Beatles' performance as a parting gift.
Some had speculated that devout Catholic Stephen Colbert might have Pope Leo as a guest on his final show. Colbert joked about the rumors during the broadcast, showing a sketch in which the "Pope" wouldn't come out of his box because the Chicago-born Leo hadn't been given the right kind of hot dog he requested.
Instead, Paul McCartney came out as a guest.
"Late Show" was canceled after eleven years for financial reasons, according to CBS. But Colbert has also been a fierce critic of Donald Trump, calling for him to be fired.
Stephen Colbert deliberately chose not to mention Donald Trump's name during his final show. The president, however, took the opportunity to celebrate the cancellation.
"Colbert is finally dumped by CBS. Unbelievable he stayed so long," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
"You could have taken anyone off the street and it would have been better than this idiot. Thank God he's finally gone," the president added.
