Stephen Colbert’s Surprise Hosting on ‘Only in Monroe’

Stephen Colbert made an unexpected appearance on the Only in Monroe community access show, which airs in southeast Michigan along Lake Erie’s shores. This surprise hosting occurred just one night after his final episode of The Late Show on CBS. Colbert’s participation injected humor into the local broadcast.

Joining Colbert was Michigan native Jack White, who hails from Detroit, approximately 40 miles from Monroe. White served as Colbert’s ‘volunteer music director.’ Colbert humorously told White, ‘Looking forward to hearing some of your music, time permitting,’ prompting laughter from off-camera attendees.

The hourlong broadcast featured an interview with actor Jeff Daniels and incorporated numerous Michigan-centered jokes. Actor Steve Buscemi appeared in a prerecorded segment poking fun at Buscemi’s Pizza in Monroe. The show also included a taped appearance by rapper Eminem, raised in Detroit, who portrayed the ‘fire marshal’ in a segment where set pieces were dramatically destroyed by Colbert, White, and Daniels.

Colbert also communicated via FaceTime with comedian Byron Allen, who is set to host Comics Unleashed, the show replacing Colbert’s canceled Late Show.

Regular hosts Michelle Baumann and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson joined Colbert in a humorous segment involving helium balloons as they discussed Baumann’s battle with cancer. A message on-screen humorously cautioned, ‘Former professional TV host, do not try this at home.’

This marked Colbert’s second hosting stint on Only in Monroe. During the Friday broadcast, he reminded audiences that he previously hosted an episode in summer 2015, just before he began his tenure on Late Night following David Letterman.

Details about where or when this latest episode was recorded remain unclear. An inquiry for comments from the community access channel on Saturday wasn’t immediately answered.