Colbert Ends 11-Year Late Show Run Amid Cancellation Debate

Stephen Colbert wrapped up his 11-year run as host of The Late Show on CBS Thursday night with a celebrity-packed finale that leaned heavily on nostalgia and sentiment. Paul McCartney joined him onstage for a performance of Hello Goodbye, and the two literally pulled the plug on the broadcast at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Other familiar faces including Paul Rudd, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds, and Tim Meadows made appearances, turning the hour into a mix of comedy sketches and tributes to the show's long history.

Colbert opened by reflecting on more than 1,800 episodes and the energy from his band, which he called the Great Big Joy Machine. He described the program as something built on joy even when the grind took its toll. Viewership for the final broadcast ran high, with crowds gathered outside the theater in New York.

The evening came months after CBS announced the show would not return for another season. The network described the decision as purely financial, pointing to the difficult environment for late-night programming. Colbert had drawn attention earlier by criticizing a $16 million settlement between CBS parent Paramount and President Trump over edits in a 60 Minutes interview. He called the payment a big fat bribe at the time.

President Trump responded to the finale with a late-night post on Truth Social. He wrote that Colbert was finally finished at CBS and marveled that the host had lasted as long as he did. Trump added that the comedian had no talent, no ratings, and no life, comparing him to a dead person and suggesting almost anyone pulled off the street would have done better. He closed by saying thank goodness he is finally gone.

The remarks followed earlier comments from Trump last year when the cancellation was first reported. He had insisted the move had nothing to do with him and everything to do with lack of talent and poor performance numbers. Supporters of the president have long viewed shows like Colbert's as extensions of partisan commentary rather than neutral entertainment, especially during the years when nightly monologues targeted Trump and his administration.

Colbert's program began in 2015 after David Letterman stepped down. Over time it shifted toward sharper political material, a pattern common across late-night television. Critics on the right argued this approach narrowed the audience and turned once-broad comedy into predictable opposition messaging. The final episode's emphasis on warmth and celebrity goodwill stood in contrast to those earlier years of pointed attacks.

With Colbert off the air, attention now turns to remaining late-night voices and whether the format can recover broader appeal. The farewell show delivered the expected tributes and musical moments, yet the president's blunt assessment captured a wider frustration with hosts who spent years treating political disagreement as the main source of material.