Colbert launches YouTube channel less than a week after late-night show ends

Stephen Colbert hasn’t even been off the air for a week, but is already causing some hubbub with the launch of a new YouTube channel that has garnered more than 120,000 subscribers. The popular late-night host, who aired his final episode of The Late Show last Thursday, quietly debuted the channel over the weekend with a single video titled: “Only In Monroe --- May 22, 2026.” The hour-long video features Colbert appearing on Monroe Community Media, a public access television station in Monroe, Michigan – a small town with a population of roughly 20,000. In the video, the 62-year-old comedian joked: “It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV, so I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount,” referring to CBS’s parent company, which was recently acquired by Larry and David Ellison – allies of Donald Trump – as part of an $8bn deal. Colbert’s new YouTube channel cropped up amid lingering controversy surrounding the end of Colbert’s show and Paramount. Last year, Paramount announced the cancellation of Colbert’s show while seeking regulatory approval from the Trump administration for its merger with Skydance Media. The proposed deal faced months of delays after the president filed a lawsuit against CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with former vice-president Kamala Harris in 2024. …