We All Missed An Easter Egg for Stephen Colbert’s Late Night Return

Well, that didn’t last long! Stephen Colbert returned to late night in a very surprising spot on Friday.

The Late Show host popped in for a guest hosting slot on Monroe Community Media’s “Only in Monroe.” For those unaware, Colbert has appeared on the public broadcasting network before. Right before he got his gig on CBS, the host filled in on the exact same show. 

Of course, things are a little different than last time around. Colbert is coming off of CBS cancelling his show for “monetary reasons.” (We still don’t believe that for the record, but we have to put that in here lest people think we’re being unfair to the institution.)  

This instance of “Only in Monroe” ended up being one for the books. Jack White, yeah the one from The White Stripes, ended up being musical director for this episode. Eminem popped-up and Jeff Daniels was the guest star for the evening.  

In addition, Monroe stapes Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson joined Colbert for some hijinks. There was some helium involved! We are talking good natured chaos of the highest order.

Folks might not remember when Colbert sat on this set back in 2015. But, the people on the ground seemed to remember the stunt fondly. As a result, that YouTube video has an absolutely staggering number of views.

Only In Monroe Easter Egg

Hysterically, there was also an Easter egg during the last episode of The Late Show on CBS that heralded Colbert’s secret hosting gig.

So, when the finale episode of Colbert’s program aired, he turned off the lights with Sir Paul McCartney and a host of other musical guests. When the host approached the giant light switch for the entire theater, some smart viewers noticed that he had a box labeled “Only in Monroe.”

At the time, most people at home thought that was just a cheeky nod to Colbert’s history. But, now it’s obvious that this was supposed to be a clue of some sort. Get ready for people to zoom in on the details in that final episode now.

Who knows what else they managed to hide in that finale? Check out the small detail for yourself right here!

Stephen Colbert Heads to Michigan

With public broadcasting needing every dollar imaginable to survive, it’s a goodwill gesture from the TV funnyman that will not go unnoticed by the viewing public at home. If the audience has any sense at all, they should be willing to donate to keep the lights on at MCM for at least a few months!

Here’s what the network has to say about their operation, “We rely on donations and sponsorships to keep the lights on.Our operating costs exceed what we make from membership fees, which are kept intentionally low for accessibility.”

“Therefore, we are always eternally grateful for individual donations and local businesses that want to sponsor our community-made programs,” MCM added.

Its’s a worthwhile cause in 2026. And, you would have to imagine Colbert decided to revisit the past both for the bit and for a measure of solidarity. Just like the FCC’s tiff with the late-night hosts on-air, they’ve been tussling with both NPR and PBS for about a year now.

Public media is one of the last sources of independent news in the country. So, it only makes sense to put a spotlight on a place that provides a public good. Now, the big question is what does Colbert do next?

(featured image: CBS)

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