Jimmy Fallon appeared on The Late Show last night, making his debut appearance on the show. The Tonight Show host chatted with Stephen Colbert about their long-time friendship and memories over the years before Fallon performed a musical number in celebration of Colbert.
The serenade paid tribute to Colbert’s work on The Late Show, which will come to an end on May 21. The lyrics were sung to the tune of “My Way” and saw Fallon commenting on Donald Trump’s involvement in the conclusion of the show.
“And now the end is near,” Fallon crooned as the lights dimmed. “And so you face the final curtain/ But Trump, he made it clear/ He wants you gone/ Of that we’re certain/ You’ve been a gracious host/ We’ve loved you since the old Report days/ And more/ Much more than this/ You did it your way.”
He continued, “CBS, they said you’re through/ And now it’s down to just to two Jimmys/ But wait, before you go/ Can I please have one of your Emmys?”
At the end of the song, the duo climbed on Colbert’s desk and embraced. “I’ll see you in the locker room,” Colbert told Fallon.
Last year, CBS announced that it planned end its late-night talk show, hosted by Colbert for over a decade, amid financial issues at the network.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television,” CBS wrote in a statement. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert addressed the decision on his show, noting, “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away. I do want to say that the folks of CBS have been great partners.”
Colbert started hosting The Late Show in 2015, taking the baton from David Letterman after hosting the news satire show The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. The show, which films in the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, is currently in its 11th season with Colbert as host.
Michaela Coel in ‘The Christophers.’Claudette Barius/NEON
