WELCOME BACK. THERE YOU GO.
HELLO, MARK. FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN
AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN ON TV FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
NOW HE CO-ANCHORS CNN'S NEW MORNING SHOW, "CNN THIS
MORNING." PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE
SHOW," DON LEMON! ♪ ♪ ♪
OH, HI, DON. >> HEY!
WOW! OH, MY GOSH!
WOW! THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: HAVE A SEAT, DON. >> IT'S SO WEIRD-- HI, STEPHEN,
HOW ARE YOU? >> Stephen: I'M DOING FINE.
I'LL ASK THE QUESTIONS. >> IT'S SO WEIRD NOT HAVING AN
EAR PIECE IN. >> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT, WHEN
YOU'RE ON CAMERA, THERE'S SOMEBODY GOING, "WHY DON'T YOU
ASK HIM THIS. CUT TO COMMERCIAL."
DO YOU LIKE THAT? I'M DEAF IN ONE EAR, AND I NEVER
LIKE TO HAVE ANYTHING IN THIS EAR BECAUSE THEN I CAN'T HEAR
THE GUEST. >> I LIKE IT.
I LIKE BEING ABLE TO RELY ON SOMEONE TO BE MY SECOND BRAIN--
OR YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, FIRST BRAIN.
THEY CAN TELL YOU STUFF. >> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE A
NICE THANKSGIVING? >> I HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING.
>> Stephen: DO YOU COOK? DO YOU DO ALL THAT GOOD STUFF?
>> I DO COOK, BUT I DIDN'T THIS TIME.
>> Stephen: OKAY, WHERE DID YOU GO?
>> I WENT TO MY IN-LAWS, SOON-TO-BE IN-LAWS.
IN LONG ISLAND-- ON LONG ISLAND. YOU HAVE TO SAY IT RIGHT.
SUFFOLK COUNTY. THAT KIND OF ROUSING APPLAUSE.
I HUNG OUT WITH THE SOON-TO-BE IN-LAWS AND DID A LITTLE JIMPLER
BRED MAKING. >> Stephen: STRAIGHT TO
CHRISTMAS. YOUR THANKSGIVING REALLY IS JUST
CHRISTMAS. >> WE HAD THANKSGIVING, AND ONE
DAY LATER, MY FIANCE'S SISTER-IN-LAW FLIPPED THE HOUSE,
AND WE WENT BACK ON SATURDAY -- >> Stephen: "FLIPPED THE
HOUSE." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> ALL THANKSGIVING DECORATION S.
>> Stephen: LIKE TURKEYS AND--
>> TURKEYS AND -- >> Stephen: WHAT?
>> CORNUCOPIA. >> Stephen: DISPLACED INDIANS?
WHAT-- WHAT-- IT'S A DARK STORY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
THANKSGIVING. >> YES.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT. >> EVERYBODY DRESSED LIKE
PILGRIMS. AND FROM THURSDAY TO SATURDAY,
SATURDAY WAS ALL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.
TWO CHRISTMAS TREES. >> Stephen: IS THAT WHAT THIS
IS? I HAVE WHAT ARE TWO IDENTICAL
PHOTOGRAPHS. ONE SHY SHOW FIRST?
>> THIS ONE IS MINE. >> Stephen: WAS THAT A
CONTEST? >> THAT WAS A CONTEST, BUT THERE
WERE, LIKE, SEVEN OF THEM. WE PICKED THE TWO-- ONE IS MINE
AND ONE IS THE WINNER. >> Stephen: THIS IS THU.
YOU GAVE AWAY THE STORY THAT YOU DID NOT WIN.
THAT'S YOU. >> THAT'S ME.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FRONT RIGHT HERE?
BRICKS, WHAT ARE THOSE? >> THOSE ARE WHITE CHOCOLATE
BARS, THAT CAROLINE, WHO IS 10 YEARS OLD, PUT ON.
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE KIT KATS.
YOU DID THAT. >> I DID.
>> Stephen: FINE EFFORT. AND THIS IS THE WINNER.
>> THAT'S THE WINNER. THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: YOU SEE-- I THINK YOU BLEW IT.
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND VOTES FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE?
YOU LIKE WHITE CHOCOLATE? >> I LIKE WHITE CHOCOLATE, AND I
LIKE BLACK CHOT LACK, TOO. >> Stephen: ONE OF THEM IS
ACTUALLY CHOCOLATE. >> ONE OF THEM IS ACTUALLY
CHOCOLATE. >> Stephen: SO YOU LOST.
I'M SO SORRY. >> I LOST BUT IT WAS A GREAT
THANKSGIVING. IT'S GREAT TO SPEND TIME WITH
FAMILY, AS YOU KNOW. IT WAS A WARM FAMILY THANKS,
COZY. I LOVED IT.
IT WAS GREAT. >> Stephen: I'M VERY HAPPY FOR
YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: THE BIG STORY FOR YOU IS THE NEW GIG, "CNN THIS
MORNING." C.T.M., YOU HOST WITH POPPY
HARLOW AND KAITLAN COLLINS. I HAVE THE GANG RIGHT THERE.
>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES. >> Stephen: IT'S A VISUAL
MEDIUM. THERE YOU GO.
THERE YOU ARE WITH YOUR COHOSTS. HOW--
( APPLAUSE ).
TURTLENECK. THE TURTLENECK IS VERY
CHRISTMASY, TOO. IT'S VERY ANDY WILLIAMS
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. HOW DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL
IN THE MORNING? BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE SHOWS--
OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE A NEW SHOW, BUT WHEN PEOPLE FIRST GET UP IN THE
MORNING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE VIBE YOU WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE?
>> I WANT PEOPLE TO BE WARM, TURTLENECK, AND COMFORTABLE
WATCHING. I WANT THEM TO ACTUALLY NOT KNOW
WHAT TO EXPECT EVERY SINGLE DAY. I WANT THEM TO, OBVIOUSLY, FEEL
LIKE THEY CAN COME IN AND BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
ALMOST LIKE A COFFEE SHOP, RIGHT?
ALMOST LIKE A DINER. YOU COME IN, IN THE MORNING, AND
YOU SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND
YOU GET THE NEWS OF THE DAY. SOME PEOPLE STAY LONGER THAN
OTHER S. >> Stephen: RIGHT.
>> SOME PEOPLE COME IN AND GET THEIR BAGEL, WHATEVER, AND A
BAG, AND THEY FIX MRS. JONES' PLUMBING, OR SOME PEOPLE COME IN
AND SIT AT THE COUNTER AND TALK TO THEIR GUY, LIKE I'M TALKING
TO YOU, AND THEY JUST GET CAUGHT UP ON THE DAY.
THAT'S HOW I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL --
>> Stephen: THAT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO
FEEL, MAN. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
PEOPLE OUT THERE. >> Stephen: YOU USED TO BE ON
AT 10:00, A NIGHT TIME GUY, PEOPLE WOULD GO TO BED WITH DON
LEMON, AND THEN THEY'D COME OVER AND WATCH ME.
BUT HOW-- HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE-- YOU'VE GOT TO BE UP AT
3:00 IN THE MORNING? >> NOT 3:00.
4:15, 4:30. AND I'M ON AT 6:00.
I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO WORK, ON PURPOSE.
>> Stephen: THEY JUST SHOOT YOU INTO THE STUDIO IN A
PNEUMATIC TUBE. THE TRANSITION HASN'T BEEN A
PROBLEM? >> LISTEN, GETTING UP EARLY IS
AN ISSUE FOR ME. I HAVE BEEN WORKING THE NIGHT
SHIFT MOST MIGHT HAVE CAREER. SO WAKING UP EARLY-- THE WAKING
UP IN THE MORNING ISN'T THE ISSUE.
IT'S BEING ALERT AND STAYING WEAK.
BUT IT'S GREAT. STAYING WEAK AT THAT HOUR.
>> Stephen: NOW I'M GOING TO WATCH.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE SHOW YET BECAUSE I DO WORK AT NIGHT.
BUT I HEAR VERY GOOD THINGS. NOW I'M GOING TO WATCH TOO SEE
WHETHER YOU FALL ASLEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE?
>> IT'S NOT FALLING ASLEEP. IT'S TRYING TO KEEP A TRAIN OF
THOUGHT AND NOT BEING GRUMPY, LIKE FROM LACK OF SLEEP.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY GREAT MORNING PEOPLE.
LIKE MY MOM EVERY DAY TEXTS ME, "GOOD MORNING, 'CNN MORNING
SHOW' PEOPLE." SHE TEXTED ME THE DAY BEFORE
THANKSGIVING AND SAID, "I DIDN'T SAY GOOD MORNING BECAUSE I WAS
COOKING MY THANKSGIVING MEAL." I CAN BE A LITTLE BIT GRUMPY.
I CAN BE A...
>> ANYBODY CAN RELATE TO THAT? I'M SURE.
( APPLAUSE )
SO, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY ADVICE FROM ANY OF YOUR FELLOW MORNING
PEOPLE? >> WELL, THE FIRST GUEST, I'LL
TELL YOU LATER, WAS SOMEONE WHO I LOVE VERY MUCH, GAIL.
ACTUALLY, GAYLE KING, WHO IS OFTEN ON THIS SHOW.
>> Stephen: SURE, SURE. >> "CBS MORNINGS."
GAYLE SAID-- THIS IS A CORRECT QUOTE-- SHE SAID YOU'LL NEVER
GET USED TO THE HOURS ( BLEEP ). BUT EMBRACE IT BECAUSE IT IS ONE
OF THE BEST JOBS IN THE TELEVISION BECAUSE PEOPLE GET TO
WAKE UP WITH YOU AND THAT IS A PRIVILEGE.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT. >> Stephen: IT IS.
QUICK QUESTION, JUST A LITTLE SIDE NOTE.
ON CNN, ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SAY ( BLEEP ) BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SAY
IT HERE. >> IT'S BASIC CABLE.
YOU CAN SAY ( BLEEP ). YOU CAN SAY ( BLEEP ).
>> Stephen: THAT'S WORTH IS RIGHT THERE.
>> I'VE SAID MUCH WORSE ON CNN. AND BRYANT GUMBEL, ONE OF MY
MENTORS. >> Stephen: THAT'S LOVELY.
>> HE SAID TO ME, "TWO MINUTES AFTER YOU'RE IN THE SHOWER, IT
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME IT IS, 4:00 IN THE MORNING, 3:00 IN THE
MORNING, OR 9:00 OR 5:00, IT'S ALL THE SAME.
GLCHMENT WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK BUT DON'T GO NOWHERE
BECAUSE WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE DON LEMON, EVERYBODY.
STICK AROUND.