Stephen Colbert recalls his visit to New Zealand, on top of a glacier sends a message to his younger self

American TV show host Stephen Colbert has renewed his love affair with New Zealand by launching an episode of his talk show with new footage from his trip to Aotearoa in 2019.

The latest episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert includes a series of segments about his journey.

Colbert takes a trip down memory lane to a time when he could still travel to the country he described as “a magical land where hugs still happen.”

In one of the segments, filmed during his travels around the South Island in late 2019, Colbert found himself on top of one of New Zealand’s glaciers.

“Overwhelmed with gratitude,” he said he wished he could share the moment with an old friend.

With no other friends around, and “it’s true you just had three shots of bourbon,” she decided to send a message to her younger self.

The comedian made people laugh with the segment, but his message was also moving.

“There were times during my visit when I had to remind myself of my good luck,” he told the audience before sharing the images.

“In case we ever invent time machines, I want this little message to now be sent in a capsule to myself when I was 29 and had a nervous breakdown for choosing to be an artist for a living,” he began.

“It’s going to be fine. You didn’t make a mistake by not going to law school. Everything will be fine. You’re going to do things with your friends like go to New Zealand and do this,” he added, pointing to the majestic views that surround him. .

“Don’t panic, get up off the couch, your skin isn’t on fire.”

After the segment ended, back in his home studio, Colbert decided to send another message, this time to his “slightly younger self” who traveled to New Zealand last year.

“If I can send a message to that slightly younger version of me from late 2019, I would say: don’t leave New Zealand,” he says.

“They figure out how to contain this thing that will start to spread around the world in about a month. I know you don’t know what I’m talking about and this sounds crazy, but trust me: buy toilet paper.”

The talk show host, and Lord of the Rings fan, spent six days in the country last October filming The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which averages 3 million views per episode.

A spokesperson for Tourism NZ said the idea of ​​Colbert visiting New Zealand first came up in September 2018, before Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared on his show.