Something interesting: Stephen Colbert has in his possession a pair of pants belonging to the late Nicaraguan dictator, Anastasio Somoza. It鈥檚 a long story but his mom dated Somoza when she was younger (before he became a dictator, says Colbert).
Speaking of pants, Jimmy Kimmel once bought a pair of Gary Coleman鈥檚 pants off eBay.
These are just two of the wonderfully weird factoids shared by late-night hosts Colbert, Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers, in a new podcast called 鈥淪trike Force Five鈥� 鈥� named after their personal text chain 鈥� which debuted Wednesday on Spotify.
Because their respective shows have been dark since the Writers Guild of America in May, all profits from the podcast will go to their respective staffs. The show is sponsored by Mint Mobile and liquor company Diageo, and Kimmel said the money will 鈥渓argely鈥� come from them. Kimmel served as the inaugural moderator and that responsibility will be shared among the hosts.
鈥淲hat would happen if five of America鈥檚 Top 11 most-beloathed talk show hosts all talked on top of each other for an hour? You鈥檙e about to find out,鈥� said Kimmel at the beginning of the episode.
鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a lot of communication during the last WGA strike between late-night hosts and as a result there was a lot of nonsense that went on,鈥� he added, 鈥渟o Stephen suggested we get together and we talk through our issues or whatever we鈥檙e dealing with.鈥�
Oliver asked, 鈥淲ould it be fair to say that in 2008 the hosts didn鈥檛 along quite as well as we do? I know it鈥檚 an incredibly low bar but that was a sequence of dying marriages that they were.鈥�
The late-night hosts in 2008 were Kimmel, Conan O鈥橞rien, Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, Craig Ferguson and Colbert and Oliver. Kimmel said their shows were all dark but eventually Letterman and Ferguson went back on the air first 鈥渁nd we were all mad,鈥� he said.
A lightning sound effect would play each time the words 鈥淪trike Force Five鈥� were said and the hosts spent the hour-long episode sharing basically whatever they wanted. Meyers said their unpolished delivery was a tribute to why they really need a staff, including writers and researchers.
More wonderfully weird anecdotes included how Fallon went fishing with Kimmel over the summer in Idaho where Kimmel has a home. It was Fallon鈥檚 first time fishing.
鈥淚f you think it鈥檚 confusing to talk to two Jimmys in a podcast, imagine to talking to two Jimmys in a boat. Imagine being a guy just like, 鈥楯immy over here on your left,鈥� and we both throw it left and we both end up tangling,鈥� said Kimmel.
This is when Meyers asked Kimmel about his A-list pals (including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell,) who have been photographed visiting him in Idaho. 鈥淜immel, is there any truth to the rumor that you have scuba divers under the water who hook the fish to the rods of the A-listers?鈥�
鈥淢ost celebrities don鈥檛 fish, they just kind of hang around which enrages me,鈥� said Kimmel.
Oliver and Meyers performed a few comedy dates together where they took to the stage for a Q&A with the audience. Oliver, said Meyers, mocks the people who don鈥檛 properly execute their opportunity to ask a question, by taking too long or they fumbling their words. Oliver did not refute this observation.
Kimmel said he usually has summers off 鈥� a fact that annoys the other hosts who normally have shows during the summer months 鈥� and he prefers being on vacation knowing the other hosts are working.
鈥淚 enjoy the fact that you don鈥檛 get them that makes it all the more sweeter. I like getting the summer off better when I鈥檓 getting paid to get the summer off,鈥� said Kimmel. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not getting paid to not work when normally you are paid to not work,鈥� Colbert responded.
Other facts included how Fallon鈥檚 mom tried being a nun for a week but it wasn鈥檛 for her. He says there is photo evidence of his mother wearing a habit, possibly holding a doll of a nun to which Meyers replied, 鈥淚 have a picture of my dad holding a GI Joe, but I don鈥檛 think he was in the army.鈥�
It was agreed that if Fallon finds the nun photos, Colbert will dig up Somoza鈥檚 pants.
Colbert also said he鈥檚 created 鈥渃ode names鈥� for the others in case he loses his cell phone. Kimmel is Crank Yanker, Fallon is Steve Allen, Meyers is Boom Chicago, John Oliver is Joliver.
鈥淵ou鈥檇 have to be a pretty dumb guy who stole Stephen鈥檚 phone to not figure out Joliver,鈥� quipped Meyers.
They ended the podcast with a promise to drop another episode 鈥渢his week.鈥� They plan to do at least 12 episodes.
Sarah Kobos, who worked as a photo research coordinator at 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� said, 鈥淭here hasn鈥檛 been any info or communication given internally about how this works. 鈥� That said, we are extremely grateful that the podcast says it will go towards helping staff. It is much needed!鈥�
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