Stephen Colbert Ends ‘Late Show’ With “Normal,” Star-Studded Episode, Joking the Pope “Canceled”
Stephen Colbert hosted the final episode of 'The Late Show' after announcing its cancellation nine months prior. The episode featured Paul McCartney as the last guest, while a planned appearance by the pope humorously fell through due to snack-related issues. Colbert opted for a normal show format, focusing on the national conversation rather than politics, and included several celebrity cameos throughout the episode.
- ▪Stephen Colbert's final episode of 'The Late Show' aired after its cancellation announcement nine months earlier.
- ▪Paul McCartney was the final guest, while a planned appearance by the pope was humorously canceled due to snack issues.
- ▪Colbert chose to focus on a normal show format rather than a special, emphasizing the national conversation.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 2 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Stephen Colbert ends The Late Show with famous faces, a fake pope and a singalong — The Sydney Morning Herald
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| Original publisher | The Hollywood Reporter |
| Canonical URL | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stephen-colbert-late-show-final-episode-recap-1236604054/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 05:05:13 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T05:32:00.607Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-22T05:32:00.607Z |
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| Cluster | tAYa55WMesA2 · 2 stories |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Stephen Colbert during Thursday's final episode of 'The Late Show.' Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text Nine months after Stephen Colbert announced the cancellation of long-running Late Show, he presided over the final episode of the CBS late night show, with Paul McCartney serving as his final guest after, Colbert joked, his “white whale” guest of the pope “canceled,” disappointed with the hot dogs offered in his dressing room.
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