--- description: The 2017 Emmys host reflected on bringing out Sean Spicer during last year's awards show while on Andy Cohen's show. title: Stephen Colbert Addresses Sean Spicer's Surprise Emmys Cameo image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Stephen Colbert Addresses Sean Spicer's Surprise Emmys Cameo With Andy Cohen  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:13 PM CUTPublished: Aug 13, 2018 4:34 PM CUT  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 6:13 PM CUTPublished: Aug 13, 2018 4:34 PM CUT During an appearance on _Watch What Happens Live_ [with Andy Cohen](http://time.com/5128638/sarah-jessica-parker-kim-cattrall-friendship-andy-cohen-watch-what-happens-live/ "undefined"), fellow TV host [Stephen Colbert](http://time.com/5363845/stephen-colbert-on-space-force/ "undefined") was subjected to the hot seat to answer some of Cohen’s burning questions — helped out by a cartoon bear. Cohen got right into the serious stuff, getting Colbert to address his controversial decision to bring out former White House Press Secretary [Sean Spicer](http://time.com/5351998/spicer-accused-racial-slur/ "undefined") during the [Emmys](http://time.com/4946406/sean-spicer-emmys-comedy/ "undefined") in September 2017 when Colbert was a host for the awards show. “Be honest. Do you regret bringing Sean Spicer out for a surprise cameo when you hosted the Emmys?” the “Shady Col-Bear” asked Colbert. But Colbert had an immediate response. “Not at all. I had no fear that it would redeem him,” he insisted. “And did you expect the flack that you got? People said you normalized him,” Cohen pushed back. (Spicer and Colbert both came in for [their fair share](http://time.com/4946088/sean-spicer-emmys/ "undefined") of [backlash](http://time.com/4945789/sean-spicer-emmy-reactions/ "undefined") after the appearance.) “I knew there would be some people who wouldn’t like it,” Colbert explained. “The funny thing was that right before I brought him out, I looked around the room and I thought to myself, there’s not one joke I’ve told tonight to this room full of liberals that was a risk, other than the one I’m about to do, and it was the joke I most wanted to do.” This year’s Emmys, which will take place on Sept. 17 in Los Angeles, [are being hosted](https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/emmys-nominations-list-2018-1202871084/ "undefined") by _Saturday Night Live_ actors Colin Jost and Michael Che. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5365530/stephen-colbert-spicer-cohen/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5365530/stephen-colbert-spicer-cohen/"},"headline":"Stephen Colbert Addresses Sean Spicer's Surprise Emmys Cameo With Andy Cohen","datePublished":"2018-08-13T16:34:00.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T18:13:20.000Z","description":"\"I had no fear that it would redeem him\"","url":"https://time.com/5365530/stephen-colbert-spicer-cohen/","keywords":["Newsfeed","stephen colbert","Late Night Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5365530/stephen-colbert-spicer-cohen/","name":"Stephen Colbert Addresses Sean Spicer's Surprise Emmys Cameo With Andy Cohen"}}]}] ```