CBS airs Stephen Colbert’s last show

Stephen Colbert hosted his final Late Show on Thursday night, transforming a rancorous network cancellation into a beautifully bizarre “cancellebration”. CBS had cancelled the highly popular late-night programme a year ago citing financial reasons, though fans suspected political motives linked to parent company Paramount’s sale.

Colbert steered his final hour-plus with joyful defiance, outsourcing the sharpest vitriol to guests like Bruce Springsteen. The valedictory episode quickly evolved into a surreal narrative arc rather than a traditional talk show. The performance included cameos by Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Ryan Reynolds. A running gag about booking the pope gave way to Colbert’s actual final guest, pop icon Paul McCartney.

The climax turned literal as Colbert faced a massive green space-time vortex alongside his late-night peers Jon Ste­wart, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. The sci-fi absurdity echoed his 2014 finale of The Colbert Report. The vortex eventually pulled Colbert into a musical purgatory where he performed with Elvis Costello and former bandleader Jon Batiste. He ultimately returned to the main stage to accompany McCartney on the Beatles classic Hello, Goodbye, signaling a bittersweet farewell to a mass-media staple.

No talent, no ratings, no life, Colbert dead person, says Trump 

Trump welcomed the conclusion of The Late Show and criticised Colbert. The show was reportedly scrapped after Colbert mocked the network over a $16 million settlement with Trump related to allegations of “malicious editing” of an interview involving his Democratic election rival Kamala Harris. Trump has attacked Colbert and other mainstream late-night hosts, accusing them of bias and targeting him through their commentary. “Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”