David Letterman returns to his “Late Show”

Eight years after his departure from the “Late Show,” presenter David Letterman (76) returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York and visited his successor Stephen Colbert (59). The two men recreated a selfie that they had taken in 2014.

David Letterman: “I miss everything”

In 2015, Letterman stepped down as host of The Late Show after 22 years. The fact that he has never appeared as a guest since then fueled rumors of a bad relationship with his successor, as “Entertainment Tonight” reported. But there was no sign of that on Monday evening. The men chatted with each other in a relaxed manner and shared their experiences as late talkers. “I miss everything,” Letterman admitted. He visibly enjoyed the audience’s applause. The big advantage of the daily show is: “If you mess something up, you can try again 24 hours later.”

The emotional highlight of the evening came toward the end of the conversation, when Letterman asked Colbert if he would mind if he took a photo behind the desk for old times’ sake. Without saying a word, Colbert immediately jumped up and stepped aside to give Letterman space. “That’s very generous of you. Thank you, Stephen,” Letterman said, later joking: “By the way, in my day I would never have allowed that. I’m sorry. Thank you.” Colbert’s current selfie and the photo they took on the show nine years ago. Back then, the roles were reversed: Letterman was the host, Colbert was the guest.

Unlike many other celebrities who like to promote new projects on the show, Letterman had no particular reason for appearing. However, the late-night legend took the opportunity to give his wife Regina Lasko (63) a birthday greeting on TV.