When it was announced in 2014 that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of the CBS “Late Show,” reaction was mixed. Letterman, who retired after helming the talk show for 22 years, had a loyal audience. At that point, Colbert was best known for playing a satirical version of himself on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Andy Cohen were among those who made surprise appearances on Monday's episode after CBS announced that the late night show would be ending in May 2026.