After yesterday’s big announcement that Stephen Colbert will succeed David Letterman when he retires from the Late Show in 2015, eyes would be on Colbert to see what his take would be.
Colbert opened Thursday night’s Colbert Report by addressing the Letterman retirement. “I know we’ve got a big show to do tonight, but one thing before we get started. There was some big news yesterday that slipped through my news crack, and it concerns somebody I’ve admired for years, and yet surprisingly is not me,” he said, according to Variety.
He joked that Letterman was so revered that he influenced numerous TV hosts that came after him, and even a few before. He then shared his own experience watching Letterman. “Dave has been on the air my entire adult life. Late Night debuted my first year in college. I learned more from watching Dave than I did from going to my classes, especially the ones I did not go to because I had stayed up until 1:30 watching Dave,” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
He ended the bit with the ultimate wink to the audience. “I gotta tell you, I do not envy whoever they try to put into that chair.” The in-studio crowd erupted with applause, but Colbert made sure to have the final word. “Those are some really big shoes to fill, and some really big pants.”