The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Santa and his workshop are, like America, having a bumpy sleigh ride transitioning to the incoming Trump administration. When Elon Musk is put in charge of Christmas efficiency as part of his D.O.U.C.H.E. program, Santa must either pledge absolute loyalty, or face a gladiator battle of ancient Roman proportions. Will Father Christmas survive? Will Joe Biden stay awake through the entire special? Will RFK Jr.'s brainworms have enough brain meat left to eat this winter? Find out in "It's A Worm-derful Life," the new Late Show Holiday Animated Classic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people are calling Elon Musk “president” after President-elect Trump followed Musk’s lead in coming out against the House Republicans’ spending bill, the first severe human case of bird flu has been reported in the U.S., and Stephen takes a look at some of the world’s strangest Christmas traditions. Actor Edward Norton talks about the truly authentic way he and Timothée Chalamet approached playing the music of Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger in their new film, “A Complete Unknown,” which opens in theaters on Christmas Day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The stock market is on a 10-day skid but meme coins are getting hot, President Biden attempted to calm America’s nerves over the mysterious drone swarms, President-elect Trump continues to file lawsuits against media companies, and Justin Timberlake suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction. Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody tells Stephen Colbert that he’s been an avid student of human nature since he was a child, and his observations help inform his choices as an actor. Watch Adrien in the new film, “The Brutalist,” in select theaters this Friday and opening nationwide in January. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans are ready to shake up some tired Christmas traditions, Stephen looks into some cold weather dating trends, Canada’s prime minister has become deeply unpopular with the public, and England may run out of Guinness due to its surging popularity with a new generation of female drinkers. Elton John talks to Stephen Colbert about the dizzying highs and lows of his life from 1970-1975 as he became one of the most famous entertainers in the world, all while privately spiraling into drug addiction and despair. And the amazing Brandi Carlile joins Elton John and Stephen Colbert for an extended conversation about their friendship and artistic collaboration, Elton’s commitment to lifting up new artists like Chappell Roan, Brandi’s special relationship with Joni Mitchell, and the potential for new Elton John music in the near future. The new documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” is streaming now on Disney+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen went viral after dancing with Oprah at Gayle King’s surprise party, people across the Northeast want answers about the swarms of drones appearing in the night sky, and China may be tracking us through our air fryers. Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman lovingly teases two of her fellow Australian actors who failed to show up to watch her accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Stick around for more with Nicole Kidman and watch her new film, “Babygirl,” in theaters Christmas Day.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GRAMMY Best New Artist nominee Sabrina Carpenter makes her first visit to the Ed Sullivan Theater and is blown away by being in the same room where her idol Paul McCartney made his U.S. debut with The Beatles. Tune in to this EXCLUSIVE extended interview with the pop icon where she and Stephen talk about her music, her humor, and the new special, and watch Sabrina Carpenter sing and act in her holiday special, “A Nonsense Christmas,” streaming now on Netflix and look for her at The 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 2, 2025 on CBS.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meanwhile... Pantone's color of the year is delicious, hot dog fans can grab a free wiener at Sam's Club for a limited time, and we have an update on the love affair between Stephen Colbert and the good people of Finland. Next up, Stephen Colbert has scoured the globe to find the latest news stories impacting the international community for his long running segment, "What's Going On Over There?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science-lover Stephen Colbert reports on all the latest developments in the world of science in everyone's favorite science-focused segment. Next up, stand-up comedian Saul Trujillo celebrates his family's Mexican roots and confesses his love for Taco Bell while making his late night television debut with a stand-up set at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Learn more about Saul and find tour dates on his website: https://saulcomedy.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Trump told Time Magazine he may not be able to lower prices at the grocery store, America’s dad Stephen Colbert takes all the credit for the engagement of Selena Gomez to benny blanco, mystery drones are freaking out New Jersey residents, and PornHub released fascinating data on the world’s pornography habits. Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet radiates with pride for his work transforming himself into Bob Dylan in the new film, “A Complete Unknown.” Stick around for more with Timothée Chalamet and watch the film in theaters on Christmas Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans of accused UHC assassin Luigi Mangione are scooping up “Free Luigi” merchandise, President-elect Trump nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle for ambassador to Greece, and HHS nominee RFK Jr.’s opinions about healthy food may put him on a collision course with America’s corn lobby. In this exclusive EXTENDED interview with GRAMMY-winning global superstar Dua Lipa, hear Stephen and Dua trade stories from their service industry days, find out about her Christmas traditions in London, and get a peek at her new concert special, “An Evening With Dua Lipa,” which airs this Sunday on CBS and Paramount+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gambling website BetUS has declared our host the hottest famous man in the country, accused UHC shooter Luigi Mangione grew up in a wealthy Baltimore family before becoming an internet celebrity, and several of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for top administration positions are hawking unregulated supplements online. For the first time in her life as a celebrity sex symbol, acclaimed writer and actress Mindy Kaling finds herself on the winning end of a “who wore it better” contest. Watch new episodes of her series, “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Thursdays on Max. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A suspect has been arrested for the murder of the CEO of United Health Care, Syria’s bloodthirsty dictator Bashar al-Assad is gone, and President-elect Trump expressed his desire to imprison members of Congress who investigated the January 6th insurrection. American treasure Billy Crystal tells Stephen an epic story about filling in for Johnny Carson at “The Tonight Show,” where his guest was a very emotional Howard Cosell. Watch his new series, “Before,” available now on AppleTV+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor Peter Sarsgaard shares the story of the real-life events portrayed in his new film, “September 5,” set amid the chaos of a terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympic Games. “September 5” opens in theaters this Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meanwhile... Everyone's favorite Late Show segment is a hit in Finland, Stephen applauds the whistleblowers who outed an illegal potato price-fixing scheme, KFC wants Christmas to smell like fried chicken this year, scientists discovered a species that can travel through time, Stephen isn’t impressed with the latest pop art masterpiece, and we’re learning far too much about “Shark Tank” judge Barbara Corcoran’s marriage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Moana 2” star Auli’i Cravalho tells Stephen how she nailed a British accent for her role in “Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club” on Broadway, and why she’s thrilled to continue to be the voice of “Moana” eight years after the first film came out. Catch her latest work in “Moana 2,” which is in theaters now!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack in the Box kicked off the fast food holiday promo season, Stephen is disturbed by his Spotify Wrapped results, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth denied having a drinking problem, and we have an update on South Carolina’s escaped research lab monkeys. Emmy-winner and author Kate McKinnon receives the ultimate compliment from Stephen Colbert as the two improv masters meet for the very first time and seemingly fall in love on the air. McKinnon’s new book, “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science,” is available now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Trump’s support for his Defense Secretary nominee may be teetering as Pete Hegseth’s colleagues at Fox News say he frequently showed up drunk at work, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is working to gain influence in Trump’s incoming administration, and Stephen looks into the wild details of an attempted coup by South Korea’s president. Anderson Cooper does not approve of his friend Andy Cohen’s casual approach to hopping in cars with strangers in the middle of New York City. Watch them co-host “New Years Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” on CNN on December 31st.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some Democratic lawmakers are angry with President Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter, France’s Notre-Dame cathedral is reopening to the public after an extensive renovation, President-elect Trump is threatening trade wars against Canada and Mexico, and a runner went viral with an impressive animated dance video. Stephen takes a moment out of his conversation with musician, entrepreneur and actress Selena Gomez to send a message to her boyfriend and personal chef, benny blanco. Visit http://https://rareimpactfund.org to learn about Selena’s philanthropic work and watch her new film, “Emilia Pérez,” on Netflix now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden issued a blanket pardon to keep his son Hunter out of prison, MAGA loyalist Kash Patel is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for FBI Director, and Trump’s choice for Secretary of Defense has a history of workplace incidents involving alcohol. Acclaimed actor Daniel Craig makes his sixth appearance on “The Late Show” and finally gives our host a note about how to correctly pronounce his last name. Stick around for more with Daniel Craig and watch his new film, “Queer,” in theaters now.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Agency” star Jeffrey Wright wants to make something perfectly clear: while he plays a spy on television, that does not qualify him for a cabinet-level government job. “The Agency” is streaming now on Paramount+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices