Stephen Colbert returns to TV 24 hours after 'Late Show' finale

Stephen Colbert has stunned his fans with a surprise return on TV just a day after he wrapped up his late-night show on CBS.

​On Friday, May 22 he made an appearance during the opening monologue of Only in Monroe, a public access show in Monroe, Michigan.

​While kicking off the show Colbert joked, "It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV."

​He continued, "So I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount."

​It is pertinent to mention that Colbert was a regular on Only in Monroe, as he previously hosted the show when in the absence of hosts Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rafko-Wilson in 2015.

​“Since I was last here in Monroe, Michigan, I spent 11 years as the primary host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, which came to an end last night,” he said during his monologue.

​He ended the episode teasing his upcoming appearances on the show, “Thanks for watching Only in Monroe and if you watched any of my other talk shows over the years, thanks for watching those too!”

​The 62-year-old host bid farewell to his long-running late-night show on Thursday, May 21, after fronting the show for 11 seasons.

​CBS announced back in July 2025 that it was pulling out The Late Show With Stephen Colbert due to financial problems.

​During the show's star-studded final week, celebrities including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Reynolds and many more made special guest appearances.