Inside David Letterman’s Retirement Shocker

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The secret behind DAVID LETTERMAN’s sudden retirement next year!

Madness reigned outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre in Manhattan when it was announced that David Letterman was retiring. It was only recently that he had become the longest running host in TV history surpassing "Tonight Show" legend Johnny Carson’s previous record

Letterman notched up 21 years as the only and only The Late Show host on CBS. He previously hoisted "The David Letterman Show" on NBC  and jockeyed with then protégée Jay Leno to inherit Carson's slot. Leno won, Letterman went to CBS.

As news trucks filled the streets and the crowds had swelled to twice the normal size, Johnny Depp, who was guesting with Dave, glad handed the acolytes.

Since Dave tapes two shows a day, the new was leaked in between tapings prompting a ground swell of emotion. Audience members begged him to stay, studio pages wept openly while Dave did his shtick.

But, as one wag put it, Dave may be getting out of the biz for the most obvious of reasons.

“He’s old – he’s 67 and has been doing this a looooooooooooong time,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter.

And with the changing youth boom in the TV landscape late night chatters – the success of Fallon & Kimmel – appears to be the "Top Ten List" on the wall for Dave.

He’s old – his shtick is old – and he’s tired.

Quite a run though for a gap-toothed lad from Indiana.