Stephen Colbert has launched a new YouTube channel less than a week after his final episode of The Late Show aired on Thursday. The channel quietly debuted over the weekend and has already amassed more than 120,000 subscribers.
The channel features a single hour-long video titled “Only In Monroe --- May 22, 2026,” in which Colbert appeared on Monroe Community Media, a public access television station in Monroe, Michigan. In the video, the 62-year-old comedian joked about being off air for 23 hours and expressed gratitude for appearing on the station before it is “acquired by Paramount,” referring to CBS’s parent company.
Colbert’s new venture comes amid controversy surrounding the end of his show. Paramount cancelled The Late Show last year while seeking regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance Media, a deal that faced delays after President Donald Trump sued CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Paramount settled the lawsuit, agreeing to donate $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library, a move Colbert criticised on air as a “big fat bribe”.
Following Colbert’s appearance on Monroe Community Media, clips spread on social media, prompting CBS to issue copyright notices. After backlash, CBS reversed course, stating the episode was produced by CBS Studios and posted in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and The Late Show’s YouTube channels, and that it would waive further enforcement pending review.
