Stephen Colbert signs off The Late Show with a 'normal' episode filled with celebrity cameos

Stephen Colbert ended The Late Show with a "normal" episode filled with celebrity cameos on Thursday (21.05.26) night.

The 62-year-old comic - who took over the programme from David Letterman in 2015 - took to the stage one last time for his CBS late night show and while he had originally planned to sign off with a "huge special", he and his team ultimately realised "every episode is special".

He said in his opening monologue: “The best way to celebrate is to do a normal show and talk about the national conversation."

Colbert then launched into a typical news-focused monologue but was frequently interrupted by famous faces in the audience, including Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows.

While a host of other celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds, appeared thinking they would be the show's final guest, Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney was in fact the real last interviewee.

However, a sketch teased the pope - who Colbert had long said he was desperate to have on the show - was supposed to be on but a crew member declared he had refused to leave his dressing room because he had the wrong snacks. The camera then cut to the outside of a dressing room door, where an arm in a papal robe threw hot dogs out into the hall way.