In the series finale of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday night, the host used a pre-recorded skit featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson to acknowledge his show’s disputed “#1 in late-night” status.

Tyson explained Colbert’s cancellation had torn the “fabric of the universe” because two realities couldn’t coexist: the show being ranked number one while actually getting canceled. Colbert quipped, “They canceled Gutfeld?!”

Despite frequent claims by Colbert’s defenders, Nielsen data shows Gutfeld! on Fox News has beaten The Late Show in total viewers and the 18-49 demographic since 2021, often by wide margins.

The episode featured appearances from Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver.

It closed with Colbert symbolically shutting off the Ed Sullivan Theater lights, ending the long-running CBS program.