David Letterman makes a grand return to The Late Show as he reminisces about his glory days with Stephen Colbert: 'I miss everything'

David Letterman was treated for illustration a king connected Monday erstwhile he returned to The Late Show.

But this time, nan iconic comedian and late nighttime talk show host was taking a spot arsenic a impermanent to existent big Stephen Colbert.

Letterman, 76, stepped onto nan shape astatine nan Ed Sullivan Theater successful New York City to a flurry of applause from nan audience.

During their chat, nan seasoned big marveled astatine conscionable really overmuch nan workplace had changed since he was sitting down nan desk.

Letterman besides put to furniture rumors that location was hostility betwixt himself and Colbert erstwhile he congratulated him and his squad correct disconnected nan bat.

'Congratulations connected nan awesome occurrence you and your unit person had,' he told a intelligibly moved Colbert graciously aft taking a seat.

Letterman joked astir really nan workplace had turned into a 'mall' while he was gone, and he compared it to Beverly Hills' swanky Rodeo Drive.

He besides joked that nan dressing room was now nicer than nan fanciest edifice he had ever stayed in, and he was shocked that it moreover had a paper for him to bid snacks up of nan taping.

After Colbert mentioned that he had only hosted astir one-fourth of Letterman's record, he asked nan bushy bearded comic what he 'missed' most.

'I miss everything,' Letterman said. 'Mostly it’s fun.'

'Very fewer things successful life supply 1 nan opportunity,' he continued. 'And I can't speak for you aliases to you connected this topic, but for me, if you muck 1 up, 24 hours later you get to effort again, And that's a beautiful bully device.

'Then erstwhile you do thing you're really proud of, you think, "My God, let's do that again!"' he added.

Colbert went connected to inquire Letterman if he ever had different precocious nighttime hosts that he could talk to erstwhile he needed advice.

He cited his for Daily Show workfellow Jon Stewart arsenic personification he could thin on.

Letterman made it clear that Johnny Carson didn't person nan aforesaid advisory domiciled for him.

'Johnny is/was nan Mount Olympus. You didn't conscionable telephone Johnny and say, "Hey Johnny. How's it going? What do you think, should I do this? What astir nan colour socks? Are they gonna beryllium each right, Johnny?"' he explained.

'So no, I was beautiful overmuch alone,' he added to sad sighs from nan audience. 'I was orphaned successful nan talk show world.'

Then he jokingly responded to nan audience: 'I don't admit nan sarcasm.'

Letterman capped disconnected his bully narration by Colbert by recreation a photograph they took astir a decade earlier.

The Colbert Report big brought retired a framed selfie that he had snapped pinch nan erstwhile Late Show big successful 2014, erstwhile he was visiting arsenic a impermanent while Letterman was still host, a twelvemonth earlier he would return complete nan reins.

'This is awesome because I was going to inquire you if I could person my image taken astatine nan desk,' Letterman responded. 'Do you mind?'

Colbert replied: 'Let's do it.'

But erstwhile they were ready, they switched places to that Letterman was backmost down nan table while Colbert took a spot connected nan left.

Earlier successful nan interview, Colbert shared pinch nan assemblage that his predecessor confessed he had ever wanted to effort sitting wherever nan table presently was located, arsenic he had placed it connected nan different broadside of nan workplace during his tenure.

When Colbert first offered him a chance to effort retired nan seat, he joked that he wasn't willing anymore, but he still sewage a chance to beryllium down nan table again for nan selfie retake.