Stephen Colbert didn’t waste any time getting back behind a desk. Less than 24 hours after closing out “The Late Show” on CBS, the comedian popped up on May 22 on a public access program in Monroe, Michigan — and brought along a few famous friends to celebrate his unlikely return to the small screen.
Colbert appeared as guest host of “Only in Monroe,” the Monroe Community Media show he famously commandeered for one night back in July 2015, just before taking over for David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater. This time, he returned to the same set on May 22, 2026, the night after his CBS finale aired on May 21.
“Since I was last here in Monroe, Michigan, I spent nearly 11 years as the primary host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, which came to an end last night,” the Emmy winner told viewers at the top of the hour-long program. “It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV, so I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount.”
A Star-Studded Local Broadcast
Colbert was joined by “Only in Monroe” regulars Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, and he packed the broadcast with famous Michiganders. Jack White showed up as the program’s “musical director” and teamed with Colbert for a taste test of chili dogs — known locally as Coney dogs — from rival Michigan restaurants.
Jeff Daniels also dropped by to prepare Colbert his idiosyncratic favorite sandwich, which he had previously described on “The Late Show”: pita bread filled with peanut butter, crushed Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips and Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce. Colbert, in turn, sampled Daniels’ viral Colbert Questionert sandwich and did shots with Baumann and Wilson during the broadcast.
Steve Buscemi popped up in a pre-taped commercial for a local pizza restaurant, while Eminem called in for a cameo. The rapper, born Marshall Mathers, had been featured in a viral interview skit during Colbert’s 2015 episode of the show, where Colbert introduced him as “Marshall Mathers, a local Michigander who is making a name for himself in the competitive world of music.”
Colbert even briefly FaceTimed with his “Late Show” successor during the broadcast. After a late-night-style monologue tackling local issues, the episode ended with Colbert, Daniels and White destroying the set and tossing everything into a dumpster. Before lighting the bin on fire, the trio got the all-clear from “fire marshal” Eminem.
A Hint Hidden in the Finale
Anyone paying close attention to Colbert’s final “Late Show” monologue on May 21 might have seen the Monroe cameo coming. From the Ed Sullivan Theater stage, Colbert reminded his audience that his late-night journey actually began in Michigan.
“Though technically our first show in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, for an audience of 12 people,” he said, before adding with a wink: “Show business being what it is these days, that’s probably where you’ll see me next.”
He wasn’t kidding. The 62-year-old comedian turned up on “Only in Monroe” at 11:35 p.m. the very next night, picking up almost exactly where he started more than a decade ago.
Big Ratings for the Big Goodbye
The “Late Show” finale itself was a major television event. The episode drew 6.74 million viewers, making it the most-watched weeknight episode during the show’s run. By comparison, the series averaged 2.7 million viewers throughout its final season.
Colbert’s final guest was Paul McCartney, who ceremonially turned out the lights at the Ed Sullivan Theater — the same stage where The Beatles famously performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. During the send-off, Colbert reflected on the spirit that defined the program.
“We call it ‘The Joy Machine,’ because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine,” he said. “But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.”
The Backdrop to the Cancellation
Colbert’s jab at Paramount during the Monroe broadcast nodded to the circumstances surrounding the show’s end. Paramount, now led by David Ellison, canceled “The Late Show” just days after Colbert harshly criticized the company over a multimillion-dollar legal settlement with President Trump. CBS has maintained that the decision to end the talk show was “purely” financial.
For now, Colbert appears to be embracing the freedom of public access television — and the unexpected joy of returning to where it all began. Whether his Monroe stint becomes a recurring gig or remains a one-night encore, viewers were quick to celebrate that the comedian didn’t stay off the air for long. Twenty-three hours, it turns out, was more than enough.