As David Letterman signed off from his 33-year career as a talk show host, he was waved off into the sunset by a cavalcade of movie stars, musicians and presidents.

The 68-year-old, who presided over 6,028 broadcasts on CBS and NBC, presented his last ever show last night, with stars queuing up to be involved or pay their own tributes from back home.

Here he is making his grand entrance on his last ever show.

The final Top 10 List – a comedy staple of the show for decades – was read by 10 stars, including Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Bill Murray.

And if the significance of the moment to the American nation wasn’t clear enough, President Barack Obama and former Presidents George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W Bush taped an intro for the show.

The Foo Fighters also played, performing Everlong, a song they first played on the “Late Show” when Letterman returned after heart surgery in 2000.

Dave Grohl arrives for the last taping of the "Late Show With David Letterman"
Dave Grohl was among the stars turning up for the last recording (Greg Allen/Invision)

Crowds gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the stars turning up for the momentous occasion. They were captured here by Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons, who is starring in a play at Studio 54 across the street from where the show is filmed in New York.

The legendary US talk show host received thousands of messages online as the hashtag #thanksdave trended on Twitter.

Many former guests tweeted or Instagrammed pictures and videos of their own appearances on the show.

Others just shared their thoughts, memories and thanks.

#ThanksDave Late Show with David Letterman

Steve Carrell kept it simple. Good work, Steve.

Talk show rivals like Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien and new kid on the block James Corden also got involved.

If that seems a little obscure, it’s a reference to one Letterman’s most famous stunts from back in the 1980s.

Even a presidential hopeful joined in.

Letterman thanked everyone involved with the show individually – causing the programme to overrun by nearly 20 minutes – then signed off with the words: “The only thing I have left to do for the last time on a television programme (is say) thank you and good night.”

He will be replaced in September by Stephen Colbert, who Letterman endorsed by saying: “I think he’ll do a wonderful job.”