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Stephen Colbert leaves 'The Late Show,' returns to 'Only in Monroe'
Eminem, Jack White, Jeff Daniels and others joined Stephen Colbert as he hosts "Only in Monroe" for second time, 11 years after his first appearance. The show is normally hosted by 1988 Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson and Michelle Baumann. The show aired at 11:30 p.m. April 22, just over a day after his final episode of "The Late Show" aired.
MONROE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Stephen Colbert was a surprise guest host Friday evening on a Michigan public-access television station, less than a day after his final appearance on "The Late Show."
Local perspective:
Colbert returned to TV by appearing on Monroe Community Media’s "Only in Monroe" for the second time.
"It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV," Colbert said on the program. "So I am grateful to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount."
Eminem, Jack White, Jeff Daniels and others joined Colbert during the episode. He also interviewed the show’s regular hosts, 1988 Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, and Michelle Baumann. Actor Steve Buscemi appeared in a recorded segment joking about Buscemi’s Pizza in Monroe.
The backstory:
Colbert previously hosted an episode in the summer of 2015, just before taking over CBS’ "Late Show" franchise from David Letterman.
It was not immediately clear when or where the latest episode was recorded.
Monroe Community Media is a nonprofit public-access television and radio station in southeast Michigan.
Dig deeper:
The Monroe appearance came one day after "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" aired its series finale, ending Colbert’s nearly 11-year run and closing the curtain on the franchise launched by David Letterman in 1993.
CBS announced in July 2025 that it was canceling "The Late Show," citing financial reasons.
The Source: FOX 2 original reporting was used for this story.