Stephen Colbert ends The Late Show, finale posts strong ratings
I've never seen a series finale as funny, emotionally impactful and downright spectacular as last night's Late Show! What a pleasure it was to meet the hundreds of staff members and thank them personally (and pose for selfies) for entertaining us for more than a decade. ♥️🙏-mh #GoneButNeverForgotten
I look forward to seeing what Stephen Colbert will do next! He is A+ for Democracy. #FreeSpeech
We wanted to show support for Stephen Colbert & send a tiny but satisfying message to Ellison/Paramount/CBS So, thru Amazon Prime, we signed up for a Free Trial of Paramount+, watched his last two shows, LOVED THEM, and then Canceled our Paramount+ subscription. You, too, can do the same.
Just watched the “Hello Goodbye” finale for the 5th time. In this downright awful time, the celebration of comic genius, brilliant musicians, kindness, friendship, gave me such happiness. We need to remember these moments used to be a normal part of life.
We need this man. #ColbertAintDone
Stephen Colbert has a far greater wealth than any billionaire. Bc he has the love, respect & support of millions of people. People that will make CBS suffer for this. Bc Colbert is more popular than Trump. He made us choose & Trump is the real loser here. Everything he touches dies.
I'm gonna miss this show alot... Colbert always helped me learn the news in a way that i understood and could find a bit of humor in the darkness. I hope he gets another show somewhere else.
NO MORE CBS FOR ME!
You are a true friend . . . bsky.app/profile/vafo...
The touch of a beatle Turining off the lights brought tears to my eyes
The last shot of all the people who worked on the show and affected by the CBS kowtowing was powerful. 💙💪
You’re a good man Mark Hamil!
It WAS downright spectacular!!! I may have had a few memories rolling down my face. 🥹🥹🥹
Was really great ! I enjoyed it and am sad at the same time 😞
I agree but in the end. It was heartbreaking. We the people cant allow this to happen again or we're screwed. I will never watch anything on that channel again.
Yes, Colbert and his team did a superb job of creating a memorable final week. (And you were part of that!)
Stephen Colbert produced a beautiful show! CBS has chosen to cancel CBS! Stephen is loved by millions of viewers! CBS is hated for being a weak network and bending the knee to the felon is a death knell to this station.
He is the epitome of class
I kind of can't be sad because it feels like he's getting evicted from a shithole and the only place to go is UP! CONGRATULATIONS STEPHEN COLBERT ON YOUR NEW FOUND FREEDOM
I kept my paramount subscription SOLELY to watch his show its last months. The finale did not disappoint and left me in tears. And as soon as it ended:
How sad America.The nation that has freedom of speech enshrined in its constitution is now having it destroyed by corporate entities who don't want to upset a thin-skinned, insecure, fascist POTUS who cannot bear any criticism & can't take a joke.Colbert is a casualty of his ego. It's truly tragic.
Stephen Colbert will be back. All the threatened comedians should buy their own station. Bet a go fund me would gain millions #FuckTrump #IrrumaboTuba
Was delighted you were a part of the show, Mark.
CBS couldn’t bring Paul McCartney to the Ed Sullivan Theatre without Stephen Colbert. CBS won’t have that kind of viewership again for a long time, if ever. I wonder how many sponsors this will cost them? bsky.app/profile/drha...
I recorded it, yet I hesitate to watch, because when it’s over, it’s over. 🥹
Whatever Colbert does for his next chapter, it must be called - “Stephen Colbert: Unchained!
Watching the finale was sad, uncomfortable and except for the pre-recorded bits, stephen looked embarrassed to be there. Tough night and tough to watch, to be perfectly honest. Change is coming at us fast and furious. Seeing the Late Show lights go off was super sad.
More than anything, I'm excited to see what he gets up to with his rumored Tolkien project... That's more exciting than anything he's done late night (and I've been watching him since before the Report even)
Was gr8 to see you! Such an ace finale for Colbert & for the history of CBS, a once gr8 network for entertainment & broadcast news. “And that’s the way it is,” Conkrite would say. So ends CBS, for it truly exists no longer. I’ll never forget the last show I watched on it.TY for being part of it! :)
Gonna miss the laughs his show brought when the world seemed darkest.
Check your media feeds. Both of these memes I put together are because people are speaking out and this is real. However, I would not wish this on such a wonderful person, like Stephen. Pedo...oh yeah! One day we are soooOOOooo gonna party!
I will miss Steven so much he has made my night for 11 years. I blame that piece of shit Trump for all of this. He's not only is taking our tax money to do whatever he wants to do with it and now he takes away our laughter at night because he doesn't want anyone joking about him.
Run for office we say!
That's the other thing that bothers me, it's not just Colbert, it's all the people behind the scene! So when the felon "cheers" for the cancellation of the Late Show, he's also "cheering" for the unemployment of all of them
Agreed! Will look forward to his next gig. Last night was the last time I will watch CBS.
A big F U to the thin skinned oligarchs who have ZERO respect for the First Amendment and our Constitution.
I've been thinking about how so many tributes mention what a good man Stephen Colbert is - and how never will we ever hear those words said about DJT. What a touching, sweet, funny way for Colbert to close this chapter. It was perfection.
We don't get the Late Show in UK but my US friends are grieving Mr Hamill....I think someone's playing Where's Luke with the Star Wars Albums!!
The penultimate and the final show were insanely good!! Loved you Mark Hamill, and all the guests administering the Colbert Questionnaire. I love how he went out showing the amazing genius and gift he is. suck it cbs and paramount. My son is canceling our paramount+ today (at my request.)
I had no idea how amazing his voice was!
I hope Colbert makes a comeback on a streaming service, like YouTube. I have this feeling that he’s not done with entertainment; rather, he’s done entertaining the Trump machine that CBS has become. Maybe rename it TTN (Trump Television Network)? Fox needs a new friend to spill more misinformation.
Watched up in 🇨🇦! Sad and angry to see him gone! That finale was beautiful!
So much class across one stage in so short a time.
NPR should offer him a show. It'd piss off trump.
Ironically, it will go down in history as one of the greatest and most memorable moments in broadcast history.
The Late Show was just his warmup.
I love that man. (Love you too, Mark!)
Stephen Colbert can sing, dance, act AND has a sense of humor. OLDdonOLD has none of these skills.
That finale made me cry. All Americans need to wake the hell up or everything that made us the greatest country in the world will be destroyed.
Whatever he decides to do I’m sure it will be significantly more impactful and garner much more attention and support than anything orange Pedolf will ever do‼️ Steven is an absolute genius with comedy and a wonderful human ‼️
I can't wait to see what Colbert's next project will be. Hoping he continues his wit and humor on another platform. MeidasTouch has offered him a position which I would definitely watch. Colbert demonstrated great poise and class. The orange 💩 can never be a class act like Colbert.
Irony would be Colbert getting an uninhibited Netflix show, and their subscription numbers skyrocket because of it, while Skydance/Paramount+ plummets.
I loved the show so much. I recorded it but can't rewatch it yet, afraid I'll cry again. I recorded his show every nite to watch the next day in case I fell asleep. It was like being w/an old friend for the last decade. I know he'll end up doing something, but President Colbert sounds great.
Agreed! I loved it! If a series as amazing as Colbert's must end, it should end with this much intelligence, humor, imagination, and class. They completed the circle from the Beatles first performance in the 1964 to McCartney and Stephen harmonizing to a Beatles song 62 years later. Beautiful.
I admit I shed a few tears.
It will be fabulous! He’s one of the most brilliant and talented ppl on television.
There's a vacancy for James Bond...
Loved seeing you there Mark!
My claymation version of Stephen Colbert receiving an award for the #1 spot that he earned.
It was a bit much, no? The ego is not Colbert’s amigo. Enough with the “saving western civilization and fighting off the forces of darkness” mutual admiration society. Gag.
Sweet sorrow, eh! Controlling the media leads to dictatorship!
It was awesome to see you there! Thanks for fighting the good fight! ❤️❤️❤️
Hello- Goodbye 👏 What an ending! I hope the RATINGS make the Rat bag lose his mind🤣
I teared up a bit at the end.
Colbert is a genius AND hilarious commentator/comedian too! Only two programs worth watching now on CBS-Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes, but they will likely show Bari Weiss censorship too and then lights out for CBS in my house!
It was a fantastic finale! I watched it on YouTube. Fuck CBS.
Trump boastfully posted in of the demise of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and yet oddly failed to mention the shows’s many crew members who are now unemployed — proving without a doubt that when when it comes to American workers finances Trump really doesn’t think about them at all.
Hope to see him somewhere in www. Maybe here ?
Yeah, Mark, I am anxious to see what Colbert next!!!!
It was epic Mark and I will miss him everyday
Same here! (My '25 tribute sketch)
You know what, as long as Evie is okay with it, Colbert SHOULD do OnlyFans. It's a very Colbert move.
Remember Zelinsky? The former comedian? The guy who ran an anti corruption campaign? Yeah. That guy is really inspiring...
Colbert’s career will probably outlast CBS.
SO happy to see you part of it.
I know it was heartwarming and heartbreaking at same time.
It was definitely a roller-coaster of emotions. I was crying as I was clapping and singing at the end. I miss it already
I was crying when he flipped the switch 😭
Gonna miss that great big Joy Machine and can’t wait to support whatever he does next.
Stephen Colbert ended his final episode of The Late Show while singing "Hello, Goodbye" with Paul McCartney on the Ed Sullivan stage that made The Beatles mega stars.
Playing the same bass guitar he played on the Ed Sullivan show 62 years ago Wow!
The final episode drew an estimated 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode in the show's history, according to preliminary Nielsen data. That's more than double the season's average of 2.69 million viewers per episode. mdavis19881.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
It was sad. I was feeling ways about stuff. Thats how I know its sad lol i think playing the peanuts theme was fkn spectacular though Colbert::: oh no, I hope that dosent cost CBS a bunch of money
what a life. getting to sing with Paul McCartney. well done, Stephen Colbert. 💙
He wrapped it up in a beautiful bow
I thought about that. The Beatles big break in the USA and Colbert closes out a former great network. Corrupt Broadcasting Service now
Love this. I know I am not supposed to have a favorite Beatle, but Paul is my absolute favorite. And Jon Batiste and Stephen singing backup! It doesn’t get any better than that. 🙏🏻🫶🥰
Wait for trump to put out a disparaging message abt the song, Paul McCarney, all of it. No one has ever genuinely fetted him in such a beautiful way. Deep down, he knows it, too.
Since Paul McCartney actually pulled the lever, shutting off the power and lights in the theater he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, made a complete in your face metaphor to the Ellison's. I saw the Beatles on that show and live at the Hollywood Bowl in '65, I'm glad Paul was the last guest. Vote!!
That’s a pretty good send off. I can’t wait to see what Colbert does next.
@stephencolbert.bsky.social has been a gift for 11 years- brilliant, stunningly knowledgeable, kind & hilarious . From his home, he with his family, helped us thru dark pandemic times. He won 11 Emmy Awards, 2 #Grammys & 3 #Peabody Awards. Thank you for all of it Stephen. We'll miss you ❤️
Last thing I will watch on CBS
Proud Brit/Canadian here! The Beatles were stars long before Dead Sullivan featured them on his God awful Sheew! Not their fault America was slow on the uptake!
It did my heart good to hear Paul McCartney singing a Beatles song on the same stage 62 years later. How much you want to bet that Colbert's band could have played ANY Beatles song that McCartney chose to sing? That music will still be around long after we all are gone.
Everything they have always done has been top notch.... Colbert and his peeps love symbolism, connections, metaphors and other cool things that sane, intelligent, kind people enjoy and understand! ❤️🤍💙🇺🇲
This tribute to Stephen Colbert by Sir Paul McCartney is so beautiful to watch all I can say is I hope Trump gets fucked in the ass by Hitler for all eternity when he gets sent to Hell.
Love this! It was amazing! 🤩
What a send off. cbwrong.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-...
That was great but it was also sad
I feel gifted to have witnessed both performances. Talk about full-circle. What a long, strange trip it's been.
He ain't done yet! I'm here for it!
It was good to see Jon Batiste and Elvis Costello there, too. Stephen's appreciation for his musicians has always made me feel like he loves all of us...even those who never met him.
We showed support for Stephen Colbert & sent a tiny but satisfying message to Ellison/Paramount/CBS So, thru Amazon Prime, we signed up for a Free Trial of Paramount+, watched his last two shows, LOVED THEM, & then CANCELED our Paramount+ subscription. You, too, can do the same. Feels right.
Every vibe in this is the exact opposite of maga & fuckface Trump.
It was Epic! Loved It❣️
It breaks my heart that he’s gone. I tape his shoes to watch them when I can’t watch live. His likeness, gentleness and sharp intellect humor needs to stay alive and accessible. His political take is so fun !
There’s video of Stephen having fun dancing at the after party last night Stephen Colbert Parties With A-List Pals For 'Late Show' After-Party In NYC www.tmz.com/2026/05/22/s...
Loved that he ended his show with McCartney. So hoping Colbert and some other comedians start their own station but it’s probably a pipe dream.
Great way to end the show.
Boy am I going to miss The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the band. But it was a joyful finale ❤️
A very sad day in America! #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfThePress #LongLiveTheLateShow #LongLiveStephenColbert
Come on, Stephen, run for office already
Fuck you, CBS, you cowards.
Emotion provoking! I remember my parents letting me stay up later than usual, to watch them on Ed Sullivan.
I'm just a little disappointed we didn't get to see his identical cousin Stephen Colbert again. Otherwise perfect ending.
Fitting tribute to an iconic host and comedian. I'm sure we have not heard the last of him.
Always entertaining... "Bizarro world"- Band on the run...😎🌠
Such a good feel ❤️❤️
A moving amazing celebration. A few times I got a little emotional. Colbert is the best and is surrounded by the best. I have great hopes for the future as we will begin again...This time we'll get it right! No Justice No Peace
I love stephen colbert, so I forgive him for that 😁
What a legendary full circle moment for late night and music history.
Paul McCartney at 83, nearly 84, looks much better than Trump at nest 80. The best thing to do is never watch CBS again!
And with that CBS as a network ceased to exist. No reason to watch. Make them go away.
Oh look, people enjoying themselves. No guns, laughter and smiles. Paul McCartney not standing behind a protective panel because its not a maga crowd with guns. Normal. Normal people making the best of something special. Beautiful, inspite of the circumstances
That last hello.o.ooooww was my favourite part of this song when I was a kid. Whenever it came on the radio, I would sing it loudly in the middle of the lounge room floor, and belt out that last hello .... love Paul's music, and who better to finish off Colbert's show 💓💓
I'd love to cancel my Paramount Plus subscription but I don't have one. Bari Weiss and CBS can go f**k themselves. They have jumped onto the wrong side of history.
This makes me want to be like Gabriel blowing the horn and tearing down the walls of MAGA. 🤬🤬🤬. These pricks have destroyed enough. Time to fight back.
And Paramount and CBS did that⬇️
It's all good, because there's no reason to EVER subscribe to/pay for anything related to #CBS and #Paramount. Greetings from down under 👋🏻
Some say Stephen Colbert has a good voice 😂😅🤣
After I watched it, it went through my head all night
That was some awesome stuff right there ... spectacular ending.
Loved all these talents together for this song. Just so right.
Jebus, McCarthy looks really well for his age.
Also awesome right before that: #ElvisCostello performed his song: "Jump Up" with Colbert, Louis Cato, Jon Batiste www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG0H...
That must have really pissed off the Child Rapist .. Seeing an "enemie" having fun is one of the worst things that can happen .. diaperdon posting stupid AI videos shows he's butthurt ...
@nothoodlum.bsky.social Number are in. 💪
I wish I could choose music from posts, and continue listening while I scroll. Possible?
Thank you kind sir for posting this. I managed to see it live in the last 30 minutes and it was great! Just the beginning for Colbert! :)
I wanted to cry. What a class act. Unlike the orange raping grifter.
NPR should offer him a show. It'd piss off the king.
I can't watch this yet -- I'm heartbroken for him
Fantastic! Paul was on that stage in 1964 with his band. That's full circle.
The world will never forget this. His history is not going to be kind to this regime, to these silent and complicit Republicans, and to those who are so gaslit and so dangerous.
Any one see the Ai Video scrumpt posted throwing Stephen in the trash he just lost a lot more votes for his gop members.
That was bittersweet. I got choked up watching last night.
and colbert got everyone who wont perform at the white house or his parties
That loud pop was Bari’s bubble bursting.
The WHOLE Stephen Colbert LAST SHOW was INSTANTLY ICONiC !!🎉 Thank you so much for this Historically political defiance by the "Entertainterment / Comedy Class" Late Night COMEDY has been OUR salvation !!! And poo 💩diaper can keep his Epstein Class.💀 TRUMP & his MORON MAGA TRUMPERS are low I.Q.🖕
I love that they turned it into a party. It’s clear why the moron-in-chief had to post AI slop about Colbert. Their joy killed him.
Great post where can we find this clip to share on other platforms?
I remember watching the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 when the Beatles performed. . It was a big deal.
That was a hell of a circle, having Paul singing that with the band. I loved it so much
With respect, the Ed Sullivan stage didn't make The Beatles megastars—Beatlemania was already a massive phenomenon in the UK. However, that legendary February 1964 performance cemented their status globally.
And with Elvis Costello backing him up there. Sweet!
Perhaps the most joyous reaction to a tragic and enraging ending. Bittersweet tears right now.
CBS helps to make Colbert a martyr for the good of democracy. He will continue just somewhere else. We will watch the demise of cbs.
The stage did what now?
Excited for Colbert’s next move.
Outside the final taping of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' New Yorkers protested: "Keep Colbert, fire Trump!" Earlier in the day, a message in chalk was scrawled on the street: "Thank you Stephen and fuck you CBS and Donald Trump."
Vote with your dollars. Conan went strait to TBS when they fucked him over.
The very best minds & talents in the US & around the world are sending off Stephen Colbert. I know he, his writers & producers will go on to do more great things. History will show Hair Furor is insecure, jealous & weak, and CBS happily goose-stepped against the values of our nation.
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" went out on a literal high note. Last night’s series finale was the most-watched weeknight episode of Colbert’s eleven-year tenure on the show... www.cnn.com/2026/05/22/m...
The final episode drew an estimated 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode in the show's history, according to preliminary Nielsen data. That's more than double the season's average of 2.69 million viewers per episode. mdavis19881.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
Best "Farewell" show in late night history. I expected the cliched host on a stool, "Thanks for inviting us into your home..." but Colbert covered that quickly ("I feel the news with you"). The show built from there, leading to the first green orb representing fascist influence in talk show history.
And you know what I won’t be watching? Whatever bullshit they replace it with
Thank you Mr. Colbert. Screw CBS.
WTF does “literal high note” mean?
CeeBeeS will now circle the bowl into obscurity. Wonderful series will now lose chunks of its viewership - our house for one. It has been "trumped".
Turn off CBS now that The Late Show has come to an end. Don't watch it again.
The final episode drew an estimated 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode in the show's history, according to preliminary Nielsen data. That's more than double the season's average of 2.69 million viewers per episode. mdavis19881.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
Just to let you know I selected CBS on my TV Schedule I check all the shows I was watching on that pussy channel I was watching Sheriff Country I found it on Global MTL Canceled it on CBS Removed CBS from my TV Channel List NEVER AGAIN ! TrumPedo’s ass-lickers I’m gone !
I got rid of paramount/cbs app last summer when they cancelled the Late Show. They don’t deserve my money. Colbert has been on YouTube the entire time.
Don’t forget to cancel Paramount+. Save yourself some money.
Done. And mock Tony Dokoupil RELENTLESSLY. Male Barbie.
Right there with you. He was the only thing I watched there. Dropped 60 minutes ages ago. Sellouts.
There is so much poetry in Stephen Colbert celebrating his finale on the exact stage where the Beatles changed culture in 1964. Singing "Hello Goodbye" surrounded by his family, band, and crew before Paul McCartney flipped the final power switch. The perfect full-circle goodbye!
I reposted this. I love this and I am now boycotting CBS.🤨
The whole episode is on yt as a playlist y’all and it’s lovely. Kind of sad but sweet how the audience all participated too.
Iconic. There will be dancing again soon but not just in a theatre, it will be out in the streets and all around the world. We all await that day. Cya ya around, Colbert.
So long CBS & Paramount. You guys suck @cbsnews.com @paramountpictures.bsky.social
I got something in my eye. 🥹Uplifting yet sad.
Last nights episode was soooo good I might watch it again.
CBS, as we know it, has ceased to exist. It is an imposter.
Joy. Gratitude. Genuine affection for other people. In just over two minutes during his show's finale, Colbert exhibited the kind of quiet, confident humanity that the current president has never had access to... johnpavlovitz.substack.com/p/stephen-co...
Over the last decade, though he has quite literally never shut up, Donald Trump has never expressed any kind of genuine appreciation for other people, never centered anyone but himself, and never offered humility of any kind...
CBS & Paramount are dead to me now. The greedy Ellisons with limitless money couldn't just enjoy life on a private island somewhere. They had to destroy one of TV's all-time greats, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, to please fellow fascist oligarch Trump. I will never forgive or forget.
The ratings are in, and it’s official: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert went out with a bang. A record-setting 6.74 million people tuned in to watch the finale on Thursday night, according to reports of preliminary data from Nielsen. (cont.) www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv...
The feat marks the show’s most-watched weeknight episode of all time.
FUCKING TRUMP, is a cunt
The final episode drew an estimated 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode in the show's history, according to preliminary Nielsen data. That's more than double the season's average of 2.69 million viewers per episode. mdavis19881.substack.com/p/a-few-thou...
Trump didn't go to his own son's wedding because he was too busy directing someone to make a bad AI-generated video of himself assaulting Stephen Colbert, because Colbert was trending all day. Happy Memorial Day, everyone!
He probably was butthurt that Colbert didn't even mention his name on the finale... so he's so small and petty he did this.. and we get the jerkoff dance, too. At least he's still unaware of how pathetic that is!
It only makes him look more like a fool. And that stupid dance. Yeesh!!
He is such an embarrassment.
My god! Make this nightmare end already!!
@lazytato.bsky.social the littlest man ever lived
The best part of this video is Trump looking like he's having a seizure
What is happy about Memorial Day? It is a solemn day to remember the service men and women that paid the ultimate price in combat for this nation.