Oprah Winfrey | Far Out

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Oprah Winfrey | Far Out
Date: April 8, 2026
Guest: Oprah Winfrey

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show features a lively and candid conversation between Stephen Colbert and media icon Oprah Winfrey. The discussion focuses on aging joyfully, the importance of comfort and authenticity, memorable celebrity encounters (notably with Paul McCartney), and the irreplaceable role of the audience in live television. Throughout, the tone is warm, humorous, and reflective, with Oprah’s signature wisdom and Colbert’s sharp wit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating the End and Embracing Change

• Oprah opens the interview acknowledging the bittersweet nature of farewells and the joy of returning to the show:
  • “I had to come back just to say one more time how proud I am of you and to say goodbye.” (15:22)
• The conversation touches on endings and transitions in both their careers.
• Colbert expresses his deep connection to his team and audience:
  • “I still have a white knuckle grip on all these people who I love, who I’ve worked with all these years.” (25:21)

2. The Joy of Aging and Living One’s Best Life

• Oprah shares how she finds more joy in life now than ever before:
  • “I have to tell you, I’m enjoying life more than I ever have. I can’t even… I don’t even remember having this much fun.” (16:19)
• She discusses embracing comfort and authenticity, especially when it comes to fashion choices.

3. Paris Fashion Week & The Wisdom of Experience

• Oprah attended Paris Fashion Week and recounts the experience:
  • “I wasn’t actually going for Fashion Week… Stella [McCartney] was getting this wonderful award from President Macron, and I was going to celebrate that. And while I was there, I thought, might as well take in a little fashion.” (17:26)
• Stephen jokes about the stern faces of runway models and Oprah comments with humor:
  • “Why is everybody mad walking down the runway?” (17:10)

4. The Importance of Comfort—From Fashion to Life

• Oprah describes a wardrobe mishap from her first Oscar nomination for “The Color Purple”:
  • “That beaded collar is like 12 pounds… when I went to sit back in the chair, it choked me. And I ended up the night with a scar on my neck… I heard the voice of God say to me, you’re not gonna win.” (18:45)
• Lesson learned: “No matter what you’re doing, you want to be comfortable… I don’t do anything that’s not comfortable now.” (19:22)

5. Childhood Dreams & Meeting Paul McCartney

• Oprah relives her childhood obsession with the Beatles—especially Paul McCartney:
  • “I was the only girl in my neighborhood who collected Beatle cards. I love the Beatles. Of course, Paul was my favorite Beatle, sure, as a kid… I used to try to make him think of me.” (22:55)
• She recounts a sweet moment holding hands with McCartney during “Hey Jude” at the Kennedy Center Honors:
  • “When they played ‘Hey Jude,’ he took my hand… and that was the dream I’d had all those years.” (23:50)

6. The Sacred Bond with the Audience

• Both reflect on the vital role the audience plays in live entertainment and personal growth:
  • Oprah: “The audience is a part of the show… I certainly wouldn’t have been who I was without you.” (27:24)
• Colbert describes the audience as the third member in every conversation:
  • “There’s a third person in the conversation, and it’s the audience right there… If you pay, if you stay tuned to them, you know where the conversation is going.” (26:43)
• Oprah emphasizes that the audience is not just about applause but about authentic connection.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authentic Farewells:
  Oprah: “At my house when people come to visit and they stay more than two or three days, we always play either ‘So Long, Farewell’… this is like bittersweet, isn’t it?” (15:27)
• On Aging Joyfully:
  Oprah: “I’m trying to age as well as possible and be the captain of the Live Your Best Life team.” (16:09)
• On Childhood Beatles Obsession:
  Oprah: “Did you ever once think of me? And [Paul] said, every day, babe. Every day. Isn’t that the sweetest?” (23:07)
• On Wardrobe Disasters:
  Oprah: “When I went to sit back in the chair, it choked me… I heard the voice of God say to me, you’re not gonna win.” (18:44)
• On Leaving Her Show:
  Colbert: “I still have a white knuckle grip on all these people who I love, who I’ve worked with all these years.” (25:21)
• On Audience Connection:
  Colbert: “There’s a third person in the conversation, and it’s the audience right there. And they are actually doing their job better than you and I can.” (26:43)
  Oprah: “The audience is a part of the show… I certainly wouldn’t have been who I was without you.” (27:24)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:12 – Colbert’s monologue: lunar mission, Nutella in space, and Trump’s moon commentary.
• 15:14 – Oprah’s segment begins.
• 16:09 – Oprah discusses aging and “living your best life.”
• 17:26 – Paris Fashion Week anecdotes.
• 18:43 – Oprah’s Color Purple Oscar night wardrobe story.
• 22:21 – Oprah recounts meeting Paul McCartney and childhood dreams.
• 25:05 – Reflecting on endings and what to “release.”
• 26:23 – Importance of audience connection in TV.
• 27:24 – Oprah’s reflections on her first talk show and audience-building.
• 28:35 – Oprah thanks Colbert for “holding the space for laughter.”

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Flow & Takeaways

Throughout, the conversation is relaxed, full of shared laughter, mutual respect, and a gentle sense of nostalgia. Oprah’s warmth and honesty shine through as she offers life wisdom and personal anecdotes, while Colbert’s humor and gratitude anchor the exchange. The episode is a celebration—not just of individual achievement, but of the connections, joy, and authenticity that fuel lasting careers and enliven the world of entertainment.

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Summary for Listeners

If you missed this episode, expect an uplifting, funny, and reflective conversation—packed with celebrity stories, life lessons, and sharply observed truths about aging, farewell moments, and the unique magic of performing for a live audience. Oprah and Stephen’s chemistry brings out the best in both, making this an episode not to miss.

Transcript

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[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Welcome to the Late show.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm your host Stephen Colbert.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

It was a chilly day.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was a brisk spring day here in New York, but you know where it's even colder in Spa. Take that shot. There's a big update from the heroes of the Artemis 2 lunar mission because the crew is officially heading home. That's great. Glad to hear that everything is working out. But how do I put this, fellas? Not a great time to return to Earth. You might want to take a couple laps around the parking lot till the explosions stop. These astronauts have already set up an incredible record traveling further from Earth than anyone before. Which means humanity finally has enough miles to reach diamond medallion status. Now we can all get under the moon's Sapphire Reserve Lounge. They have three kinds of citrus water and those little wasabi peas. At its farthest, the Artemis II reached 252,756 miles from Earth. Or as the New York Times helpfully put it this morning, if you took 22 inch dachshunds and laid them nose to tail, you'd need 728 million dogs to cover the distance. If you took one of the dachshunds on a brisk 3 mile per hour walk, you'd need to walk for more than 84,000 hours to get there. Man, Americans will do anything to not use the metric system. I don't know how many hectares is that The Artemis. I was wondering. I was wondering what sound that would make. The Artemis crew broke that distance record previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. Okay, but can you do that and make Meg Ryan fall in love with you in three different movies? I don't think so. Tom Hanks, still space king. The crew also sent home some just amazing pictures of the far side of the moon. Like this one, taken during a solar eclipse. Man, I don't think the moon could possibly look cooler. Wow. This next one might be the most striking. It's a beautiful Earth set. It looks like the moon is the Earth and the Earth is the moon. So I guess now we gotta do all the moon stuff, like controlling the tides and hitting your eye like a big pizza pie. Now turning to the war in Iran and turning back to more moon stuff.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Cause

[Stephen Colbert]

there you go.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

There you go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cause we got a ton of fun footage from this mission. Like when at one point a jar of Nutella floated through the cabin. Okay, I'm going to say that's gotta be AI because there's no way there were four people in space for four days and the jar is still full. In case there were any suspicions, NASA clarified that the agency does not select food in association with brand partnerships and that the Nutella appearance was not product placement. Okay, good to know. But then again, it wouldn't be the first time if they had done it. I mean, who could forget Neil Armstrong's famous words, that's one small step for

[Co-host/Commentator]

man, one giant leap for legs pantyhose. Earth to mission Control. Top. These are sheer comfort.

[Stephen Colbert]

During the 40 minutes when the moon was between their capsule and the Earth, the astronauts were totally out of contact with mission control. But the crew used that time wisely because according to one wiseman, the captain, each one of us had a maple cream cookie. And then right back into the science. An experience previously known as high school lunchtime when your only friend is the chem teacher. Yeah, that joke's based on a true story. To celebrate their achievements, the President called into the mission and. And it went kind of how you'd expect.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

You look at. We had. No astronaut has been to the moon since the days of Apollo program. The Apollo program was also very special. But that was 50 years ago. And at long last, America is back.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why is he moonsplaining the Apollo program to actual astronauts? Let's see.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Hello.

[Greg Phillips (FEMA Official)]

Hello.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Yeah, it says here, says here Apollo was 50 years ago, haven't been to the moon since. And these are just bullet points. Feel free to put it in your own words, whatever you do, don't read exactly what's on this piece of paper or you will sound insane.

[Stephen Colbert]

Trump also asked about the moment the astronauts lost contact with mission control.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

I'd like to ask what was your feeling when you had no communication, zero communication, all of a sudden it was cut off by obviously your very special location. What was your feeling when you had no communication? A little bit different, perhaps.

[Co-host/Commentator]

What was your feeling at that moment when no one could ask you any questions, even. Even the questions inside your own head, those terrible shrieking voices in your skull and you could finally just sit there and enjoy your cookie. Was it a good cookie?

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, we've delayed this long enough. Let's head back to earth. Because Trump was so frustrated with the war in Iran that in a post on Sunday, he dropped an F bomb and apparently converted to Islam the true meaning of Easter. For over two weeks now, he's been threatening to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure, which many war crime experts say is many war crimes. To drive home his point this morning, Trump posted this chilling A whole civilization

[Co-host/Commentator]

will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, that is very upsetting by any measure. But I also want to point out that he doesn't say which civilization will die tonight, cuz ours has been seen wandering on a highway overpass. Trump has promised to deliver this civilization ending blow tonight at 8pm Eastern. So bad news, the world might end. Good news, not until after Wheel of Fortune. I'd like to. Excuse me, I'd like to buy a vowel and a bunker, please. Trump concluded his threat to Iran by

[Co-host/Commentator]

saying, God bless the great people of Iran.

[Stephen Colbert]

Kind of a mixed message there. Like when Godzilla wore a T shirt that said I heart Tokyo. Some seems serious. Trump seems serious about this and the civilization thing. One insider claims that of all the voices in the Situation Room, the president is the most bloodthirsty, like a mad dog. That is deeply upsetting. And he totally stole my movie idea for Cannibal President this summer. Walton Goggins is commander in chomp Iran. Meanwhile, Iran has refused to give in to Trump's demands. And yesterday, the regime called on all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors to form human chains around power plants. Kind of an interesting choice of who they called on there. The statement continued. Anyone who might be part of a protest movement, please line up single file in front of the power plant.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Dress code is business flammable?

[Stephen Colbert]

There are new department. Yeah, not great guys not great, guys. Not great, guys. There are new developments in the dramatic story of Greg Phillips, the far right top FEMA official in charge of disaster response, who has claimed he involuntarily teleported to a Waffle House 50 miles away. We've all been there. Back in college, back in college, I used to teleport to all sorts of places, often without pants. My family, my family was so worried I had a teleportation problem. Phillips revealed his surprising mode of travel on a podcast last year.

[Greg Phillips (FEMA Official)]

I was with my boys one time and, and I was telling I was going to go to Waffle House and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. They said, where are you? I said, a Waffle House. They said, waffle House, where? And I said, waffle House in Rome, Georgia. I said, that's not possible. You just left here like a moment ago. But it was possible. It was real.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, you may find that hard to believe because it definitely did not happen. But what if I told you it didn't happen twice? Phillips claims teleportation on multiple occasions. As he explained, I was on the

[Greg Phillips (FEMA Official)]

phone, oh my God, what's happening? And I was landed, and landed about 40 miles away in a ditch outside of a Baptist church.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Uh huh.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, quick question. Will I understand the plot of 40 miles away in a ditch outside of a Baptist church if I haven't first seen three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri? There's an update because last week the New York Times interviewed roughly two dozen workers and regulars at the Waffle House in question, and none said they were aware of anyone traveling to the 24 hour restaurants by paranormal memes. Nope. No sir, I did not see anything crazy. Now if you excuse me, after break up a knife fight between two juggalos and a drunk middle schooler over a fiesta omelet. By the way, you're from the New York Times. How many dachshunds between us and the moon?

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

If I laid them end to end like full tails, how would I. Well, thank you for checking. Thanks. Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Would you want a waffle? Facing broad skepticism, Phillips is defending himself. Posting the word teleportation was not mine. The more accurate biblical terms are translated or transported, not new ideas for people of faith. That is true. I am a person of faith myself and I often meditate on Jesus. Words from the Sermon on the Mount. Beam me up, Gotti.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

We got a great show for you tonight

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coming up. Oprah Winfrey.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Ladies and gentlemen, my first guest this evening is an academy award nominee, Emmy winner and Tony winner. She's an entrepreneur, media mogul and philanthropist. It's Oprah.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Wow. This is the best.

[Stephen Colbert]

The best, the best.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Good to see you. Come on, won't you please.

[Omaha Steaks Announcer]

Madam.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Good to see you.

[Stephen Colbert]

It is lovely to have you back. It's always wonderful to see you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I had to come back just to say one more time how proud I am of you and to say goodbye.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, thank you so much.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You know, at my house when people come to visit and they stay more than two or three days, we always play either so long farewell when they leave, depending on if it's younger people or we'll play Bocelli singing Time to say goodbye and everybody always gets so sad. But you know, this is like bittersweet, isn't it?

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Well, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean we're still. I mean we're still having a really good time.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Doing it, loving it.

[Stephen Colbert]

The joy machine keeps on being joyful. And you get to do things like this.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

I mean, I love doing the show.

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean, obviously it ended faster than I thought, but I get to, like, get a contact Oprah on a night like this. I get to get a little bit of your joy, too, because you spread that wherever you go.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, I try to. And I have to tell you that the older I've gotten, I'm trying to age as well as possible and be the captain of the Live youe Best Life team.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes. And I just. I have to tell you, I'm enjoying life more than I ever have. I can't even. I don't even remember having this much fun.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, it looks.

[Co-host/Commentator]

It.

[Stephen Colbert]

Does it? And not only right now. Ok, but I know you just came back from Paris Fashion Week. Here you are being old, fashionable, attending four shows.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, that was fun.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

I've never.

[Stephen Colbert]

I've never attended Paris Fashion Week, but I've got some free time coming up. Do you recommend it?

[Oprah Winfrey]

I recommend it, but I would recommend it doing it with Evie. I would recommend it doing it with somebody who also enjoy it.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do I need to know? Do I need, like, a good board face? Like, you know, is this good? Me with. On a window in the front row?

[Oprah Winfrey]

No, you don't have to. No, you don't have to do that. Because all the models look like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

All the models.

[Oprah Winfrey]

All the models come. I said to Gail, why is everybody mad walking down the Runway? Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Because they're so hungry. Like, give me a sandwich. No, I love.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Check out these out.

[Stephen Colbert]

Can we go back to these outfits here for a second? Love all the looks looking fantastic.

[Oprah Winfrey]

But look, I wasn't actually going for Fashion Week. I was going because McCartney is a friend and Stella was getting this wonderful award from President Marcon, and I was going to celebrate that. And while I was there, I thought, might as well take in a little fashion because you're also having a fashion show.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is a full leather jumpsuit right there.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. Isn't that.

[Stephen Colbert]

Was that comfy? Wasn't too humid there?

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

It wasn't humid at all.

[Stephen Colbert]

It wasn't humid at all.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Actually, the jacket was good. I was a little cold.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. All right.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I almost wore it tonight. Almost did.

[Stephen Colbert]

Never too late.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Never too.

[Stephen Colbert]

We got a commercial break coming out. We go from denim to leather, then to Lycra. It'll be fantastic. Do you enjoy getting all dressed up and everything like that?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, this is the thing. I, you know, many years ago, you mentioned nominee. I was nominated for the color Purple, and it was my first guys, back in the day. Back in so far. Back in the day, y' all weren't born. You're going, so it was the original color Purple. So this is what I did. I got a gown, but I didn't know because it was the first time I'd ever done anything. Yeah, I didn't know that you were supposed to get it fitted before you actually go to try to put it on. I think we have a shot of this. Oh, my God.

[Stephen Colbert]

If this is. I have a shot here if this is what you're talking about.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, you have a shot of.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is that it?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, my God, yes.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Oh, yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So that collar, that beaded collar is like 12 pounds. So when I went to sit back in the chair, it choked me. And I ended up the night with a scar on my neck. I'm not kidding. I had like a scar on my neck. So when I'm sitting, you see me sitting in the chair, I'm actually holding, trying to pull that collar down so that I don't choke. And, you know, I heard the voice of God say to me, you're not gonna win. You're not gonna win.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, it's nice of him to do that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You're not gonna win because you can't get out of the chair.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I wouldn't have been able to get out of the chair. And so after that, I decided no matter what you're doing, you want to be comfortable. So you were asking me, was that comfortable? I don't do anything that's not comfortable now.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. This is all stretch.

[Oprah Winfrey]

This is all stretch for me.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Oprah Winfrey, everybody.

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[Audience Member/Sidekick]

This is the one, the only is

[Stephen Colbert]

the magnificent Oprah Winfrey. Now this looks like fun. Here you are. This is the Stella McCartney show, right?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. With none other than Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney himself,

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

like a.

[Stephen Colbert]

A ton of fun.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Did I ever tell you that I always thought I was the only dream? I've had every dream in my life come true, I have to say. I mean, I grew up reading Maya Angelou and then she became a friend. So everything that I've ever wanted or dreamed came true. Except I did not marry Paul McCartney.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, that was your dream.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh my. Was that my dream. I was the only girl in my neighborhood who collected Beatle cards. I love the Beatles. Of course, Paul was my favorite Beatle, sure, as a kid. And I used to try to make him think of me. I used to, like, wake in the morning and I'd stand on the stairs and I'd say, think of me, think of me, think of me. And then when I first interviewed Paul McCartney years later, I said my first question to him was all those years, I was 14 and I was thinking of you. Did you ever once think of me? And he said, every day, babe. Every day. Isn't that the sweetest?

[Stephen Colbert]

Now you're making physical contact. Look at that, Paul.

[Oprah Winfrey]

No, but. No, but here, listen to this. Listen to this. I used to dream I was gonna marry him.

[Donald Trump (voice or impersonation)]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I didn't marry him, but we got our Kennedy Center Awards together. I am seated next to Paul McCartney on the night that he got his award and I got my award. When they played hey Jude on the stage, he took my hand.

[Stephen Colbert]

You held hands for hey Jude?

[Oprah Winfrey]

And that was the dream I'd had all those years.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

I'm so happy for you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Thank you.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Candy Center, Schmenity Center. You got some. Okay, I know.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I said, stedman, look, he's holding my hand. So at this event, I was wearing a ponytail, and Paul actually said to me, I was looking, you know, at the models going down the Runway, and Paul said to me, oprah, you're thrashing my head. Because every time I turned the ponytail, I was thrashing his head.

[Stephen Colbert]

You gotta watch where you point that thing.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah, yeah. How are you feeling about the whole thing, though? How are you feeling about.

[Stephen Colbert]

Don't go Oprah on me now.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay, good.

[Stephen Colbert]

I know you're Oprah.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Do you wanna. Do you wanna switch?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah, I actually would.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Okay.

[Oprah Winfrey]

All right.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Oh, I love. Oh, my God. I love the show. So fantastic.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Thank you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It's a.

[Stephen Colbert]

What an honor to be here.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Thank you, Oprah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay. This is so exciting. So I'm wondering, so as you're standing here at the threshold.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Of what's about to be done and what you're stepping into? What do you feel like in this moment you most want to release?

[Stephen Colbert]

What do I want to release? What do I want to release?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

To let go of. I don't want to let anything go. Yet you do. Because I still have a white knuckle grip on all these people who I love, who I've worked with all these years.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Those people right over there.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And all the cameramen are out here.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Because it's not just the band. It's the crew.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It's sound. It's sound. We're nowhere without sound.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

You know what I mean?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. So.

[Stephen Colbert]

And the audience, obviously.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And the. Especially the audience. Yeah, especially the audience.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Try not to take.

[Stephen Colbert]

I never tried.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Especially the audience.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

I'm sure you felt the same way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is that you have great good luck in your career. You work very hard, but there's also great good Luck. Not just to be with these people.

[Oprah Winfrey]

The audience is a part of the show. And here's the thing. When I say, you know, all these years, it's been like 15 years for me now since the show was over, and I miss most of the audience. People think that you mean the applause, but that's not what you mean. No, what do you mean?

[Stephen Colbert]

Whoa. What I mean is that, okay, I like interviewing. I mean, interviewing people, like, in the field. Meaning, like, I go to your house and your house or something like that. Or I might go, like, see Spielberg or Barbara Streisand interview them. That's great. Great interview. Longer you get to edit it down. But when you and I are talking to each other, there's a third person in the conversation, and it's the audience right there.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

And they are actually doing their job better than you and I can, because they know what their job is, and they're very committed to their job, which is to listen to what's going on and having a reaction to it. Whereas you and I, if I'm asking you questions, I want to make sure I'm hitting all the questions I want to ask you. Yeah, yeah. You might be saying, ooh, I want to hit all the things I wanted to answer. So there's something else going on besides what we're doing. The audience is very pure in their engagement, in our conversation. And if you pay, if you stay tuned to them, you know where the conversation is going.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You know where it's working. Exactly. Exactly. That's why you are so important.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

The audience is. Yeah, yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I can honestly say, and I'm sure you can, too, that you wouldn't have been who you are without the audience. I certainly wouldn't have been who I was without you.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, not at all.

[Oprah Winfrey]

The very first Oprah show I did was. It was called AM Chicago. First one I did, I had accepted the job, but I didn't know they didn't have an audience. And so the next day, we went out on the street, and we asked people to come in and get coffee and to watch the show. We only had 12 chairs, but I needed.

[Stephen Colbert]

You tricked them.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I just needed.

[Stephen Colbert]

You tricked them.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Because the audience is such a big part of the connection, and they are the mirror.

[Stephen Colbert]

I need an audience so much that if there's somebody I need to talk to, like, on a corporate level, let's say, and perhaps I need to say something to someone at the head office that the conversation's not gonna go that well. I will ask my assistant and someone else who works there to come and sit in the desk across from me so I have an audience to hear me have the phone call so that I will say what I actually feel and actually deliver on what I want to say into the phone call, because the audience makes me do it more than I will make me do it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I understand that.

[Stephen Colbert]

I understand that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I understand that. Well, I just wanted to say to you, thank you so much.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

Thank you so much.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Thank you so much for holding the space for laughter. Has he not held the space for laughter for us in our lives and

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

been there for us? Oh, it's very kind of you. Thank you very much. And thank you for this. Thank you for this interview. And I just want to say, before we go. No, thank you very much, Steve xv. No, thank you very much. Very kind. Yes. I just want to.

[Stephen Colbert]

I just want to say. I just want to say before you go, new episodes of the Oprah Podcast are available every Tuesday. It's Oprah Winfrey, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Pluto TV has thousands of free movies and TV shows.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

We're coming at you with everything we got.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

This is the mindset.

[Stephen Colbert]

Free. This is the mantra.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Free.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

This is the. With movies like Pineapple Express, the entire Star Trek film franchise, and Gladiator, and TV shows like Survivor, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Fairly Odd Parents, and Ghosts, Pluto TV is always free.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Huzzah.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

Pluto TV stream. Now pay. Never. It is my great honor to welcome you all to Starfleet Academy.

[Stephen Colbert]

There's never been a better time to enroll in Star Trek.

[Pluto TV Announcer]

It's our job to prepare you for the unimaginable.

[Oprah Winfrey]

To the Night Cadet. In high pressure situations, positive reinforcement is crucial to one's success. You're doing a great job. This is what we train for.

[Audience Member/Sidekick]

These friends of mine, they all live for something bigger than themselves. Starfleet.

[Stephen Colbert]

Starfleet Academy. New series now streaming on Paramount.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Plus.