Bryan Cranston, Paul McCartney and Paul Rudd join Stephen Colbert for final show

Stephen Colbert signed off from The Late Show with a star-studded farewell episode packed with surprise celebrity cameos, emotional moments and a memorable final appearance from music legend Paul McCartney.

The extended final episode aired on Thursday night, marking the end of Colbert’s decade-long run as host and bringing the iconic late-night franchise to a close after more than 30 years on television.

Colbert opened the show with his usual satirical monologue before being interrupted by Bryan Cranston, who jokingly complained about not being included in the night’s guest lineup. The comedic interruptions continued throughout the broadcast, with surprise appearances from Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, Tig Notaro and Ryan Reynolds.

Reynolds joked that he had only attended to pay tribute to the show’s keyboardist rather than Colbert himself, adding to the playful tone of the farewell episode.

The biggest moment of the night came when Paul McCartney appeared as Colbert’s final official guest. The former The Beatles star presented Colbert with a framed photograph of the band’s legendary 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, filmed in the same theatre where The Late Show has been produced for years.

The episode later featured a surreal comedy segment involving a “wormhole,” which brought appearances from fellow late-night hosts and comedians including Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel.

The show closed with a musical performance featuring McCartney, Elvis Costello and former bandleader Jon Batiste. Together, they performed the Beatles classic Hello, Goodbye as Colbert delivered his final goodbye to viewers.

Colbert took over The Late Show from David Letterman in 2015. CBS announced last year that the programme would end, calling the decision financial. The cancellation came shortly after Colbert publicly criticised Paramount, CBS’s parent company, during an on-air monologue.

The host became visibly emotional while thanking the show’s staff and viewers during his final week, which also featured appearances from Bruce Springsteen and Steven Spielberg.