CBS and Paramount have reportedly issued multiple takedown notices to YouTube channels posting bootleg copies of Stephen Colbert’s episode of Only in Monroe, a public access series he hosted one day after his late-night show ended. According to Variety, the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired on May 21, 2026, and 23 hours later, the talk show host appeared as the host of an episode of Only in Monroe, a public access show by the Monroe Community Media.
Several YouTube channels began uploading bootleg copies of the one-hour episode. They were quickly served with takedown notices from CBS, which stated that the original episode now has a home on Colbert’s brand-new YouTube channel. A CBS spokesperson further added that the network funded the episode but has decided to waive the takedown notices “until additional review.”
“Stephen Colbert’s return to Monroe in the ‘Only in Monroe’ episode was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was posted on Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and ‘The Late Show’s’ YouTube channels,” the statement read.
It added:
“As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent such as Stephen Colbert. However, for this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”
For those uninformed, Colbert hosted an episode on Only in Monroe just before he kicked off his 11-year stint at The Late Show in July 2015, and it only seemed fitting that he returned to the public access series after CBS canceled his show.
The new episode featured music from Jack White and guest appearances by Jeff Daniels, SteveBuscemi, Byron Allen, and Eminem. Notably, Colbert had interviewed the Michigan rapper during the 2015 episode.
“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. 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,” Colbert said in the new episode of Only in Monroe.
Colbert’s episode of Only in Monroe, hosted on May 22, 2026, currently has over 428K views on his new YouTube channel as of this article.
Trump celebrated the end of Stephen Colbert’s show
Trump celebrated the end of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show with a jubilant post on his social media platform Truth Social, hours after the final episode aired on May 21. The president, whom Colbert has often criticized, called the host a “total jerk” with “no talent, no ratings, no life,” adding:
“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
Additionally, he shared an AI-generated video of himself throwing Colbert into a dumpster and breaking out into his signature dance to the Village People song YMCA.
CBS announced that Stephen Colbert’s 11-year stint at The Late Show would come to an end in July 2025, adding that the decision was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” The final episode, hosted on May 21, featured appearances from Paul McCartney, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds, and Paul Rudd, among others.
Edited by Juhi Marzia