This is what David Letterman looks like now

Former Late Night talk show host, David Letterman. Photo / Splash

One of the most well-known faces in America has become almost unrecognisable.

David Letterman, the former host of The Late Show, has let himself go after he left the talk show in May last year, which marked the end of his 33-year run.

Seen out and about sporting a lengthy white beard and bald head, Letterman, 68, has transformed from the clean-shaven, hairpiece-wearing host that the world had come to know.

David Letterman hosted the Late Show with David Letterman, which came to an end in May 2015. Photo / Getty Images

According to The Daily Mail, Letterman has fully embraced his retired life since passing on The Late Show to Stephen Colbert.

David Letterman is looking a lot like Santa Claus. Photo / Getty Images

"I thought I would have some trouble, some emotional trouble, or some feeling of displacement", he said in an interview with Whitefish Review. "But I realised, hey, that's not my problem anymore.

"And I have felt much better. It's something for younger men and women to take on.

"I'll be 69 next year and I've been doing this for 33 years. What did I want? Like you work until you're 100? So there's a lot of practical reasons why a person wouldn't miss this."

Fans on Twitter have remarked on Letterman's new appearance. Freddie Campion of GQ Magazine even joked that "David Letterman accidentally killed Santa and is now slowly morphing into him like Tim Allen in The Santa Clause."

While many others on the social media site acknowledged Letterman's new Father Christmas look, another user noted that "David Letterman's hair migrated south for the winter."

Very nice, David Letterman. You can come back to nightly TV now.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) March 23, 2016

- nzherald.co.nz