LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PREPARE YOURSELVES.

MY NEXT GUESTS ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD'S FIRST TELEVISED

CELEBRITY CHARITY PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT, "PICKLED," WHICH

PREMIERED TONIGHT ON CBS. PLEASE BECOME YOUR CHAMPIONS TO

"THE LATE SHOW." THE EMMY-AWARD WINNING

HOST OF "THE AMAZING RACE," PHIL KEOGHAN AND MULTI-PLATINUM

COUNTRY MUSIC STAR, DIERKS BENTLEY.

♪ ♪ ♪

THE CHAMPIONS. GENTLEMEN.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> THE COUCH.

THIS IS NICE. >> Stephen: GENTLEMEN, WHAT AN

HONOR TO HAVE YOU BOTH HERE AS THE WORLD ALL NOW KNOW, YOU ARE

THE CHAMPIONS OF THIS YEAR'S INAUGURAL EPISODE OF "PICKLED."

THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> IT FEELS GOOD.

IT FEELS REAL GOOD. >> Stephen: WOULD YOU CARE TO

CELEBRATE YOUR WIN WITH THE PICKLE-BACK SHOT RIGHT HERE?

WE'VE GOT WHISKEY AND PICKLES. >> ANOTHER FIRST.

>> Stephen: HERE YOU GO. AND HERE IS TO YOU, GENTLEMEN,

VOLUNTEERING TO BE IN THIS CELEBRITY PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

WHERE WE RAISED MONEY FOR COMIC RELIEF TO HELP CHILDREN AND

FAMILIES IN CRISIS. >> WELL DONE, STEPHEN.

WELL DONE. ( APPLAUSE )

HERE WE GO. MMM.

NICELY DONE. MMM.

>> CAN I HAVE ANOTHER PICKLE? >> Stephen: SURE, NOTHING LIKE

BACKING UP YOUR VODKA WITH A GHERKIN.

>> I NEVER LOVED PICKLES BEFORE I PLAYED PICKLE.

I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. THESE ARE REALLY GOOD.

>> Stephen: SEE HOW WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE?

YOU ARE NOW THE PROUD OWNERS OF THE COLBERT CUP.

THERE YOU GO. ( APPLAUSE )

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ). >> STEPHEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU

KNOW, BUT I LET DIERKS TAKE THE TROPHY.

>> Stephen: YOU DID. >> I DID.

>> Stephen: IT'S FOR A SURE. >> I ONLY GET IT FOR A YEAR.

>> Stephen: YOUR TEAM, WHEN HARRY MET RALLY, DIERKS, LET ME

ASK YOU THIS, WHAT WAS YOUR STRATEGY GOING IN?

YOU GUYS DOMINATED. WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?

>> OUR PLAN WAS TO WIN. THIS IS SHOW BUSINESS, BUT IT'S

NOT CALLED "SHOW FRIENDS" IT'S SHOW BUSINESS.

WE WERE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.

AND WE DID. >> Stephen: YOU DID NOT MISS

MANY THINGS. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT.

>> I'M GOING TO SAY EMMA, WHO WAS DIFFICULTY MOST COMPETITIVE

OUT OF EVERYBODY -- >> Stephen: EMMA WATSON, HE IS

TALKING ABOUT, WHO PARTNERED WITH SUGAR RAY LEONARD.

>> I MET HER IN THE MAKEUP ROOM. SHE WAS GETTING HER GAME FACE

ON. THEN-- THERE,s SHE WAS TRYING

TO INTIMIDATE ALL OF US. SHE TOLD US SHE HAD A COACH FOR

THE LAST MONTH. AND THEN WHEN SHE CAME OUT, THAT

EVIL EYE. >> Stephen: I STILL HAVE

NIGHTMARES ABOUT IT. >> IT GOT TO US.

IT GOT TO US. OF ALL OF THINGS WE'VE DONE WE

LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WENT, "WE'RE NERVOUS, RIGHT?"

NORMALLY, YOU CAN PREPARE STEPHEN.

YOU CAN PREPARE FOR THINGS. I'M GOING TO SAY WE WERE

UNPREPARED. AND WE WERE CERTAINLY UPPREPARED

FOR HER. >> Stephen: I TAKE EXCEPTION

TO THIS. JIMMIE ALLEN OUTED YOU, DIERKS,

BECAUSE HE SAID YOU PLAY PICKLEBALL ON THE ROAD EVERY

TIME. >> A COUPLE OF TIMES.

>> Stephen: YOU SET UP A COURT--

>> WE SET UP COURTS IN ALL SORTS OF WEIRD PLACES.

I DID PLAY A TOURNAMENT IN LONDON, ONTARIO, AND OUR GUITAR

PLAYER ARE THE REIGNING CHAMPIONS OF THE 75 AND OLDER

GROUP-- WE KIND OF LIE ABOUT OUR AGE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT WINNING. WHATEVER IT TAKES, IF YOU HAVE

TO FAKE YOUR AGE. WE'RE THE CHAMPIONS OF LONDON,

ONTARIO. >> Stephen: PHIL, YOU HOST

"THE AMAZING RACE,"s AND THOSE ARE TOUGH COMPETITION SHOWS.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS AND

ACTUALLY BEING THE PERSON HAVING TO PUT IT OUT ALL ON THE LINE

THERE? >> YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HOST A

SHOW WHERE YOU'RE A MUSICIAN, OR YOU HOST YOUR SHOW, YOU DO THE

PREPARATION, AND ALL THE NERVES GO AND YOU DO YOUR THING.

I WAS SO NERVOUS. AND I WAS HOPING THAT YOU

WEREN'T GOING TO BE, BUT YOU WERE.

>> I WAS REALLY NERVOUS. >> I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT STAYING

OUT OF THE KITCHEN. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THE

RULES OF PICKLE. I PLAYED TENNIS WHEN I WAS A

KID. BUT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT.

AND WE WERE REALLY-- WE WERE A NERVOUS WRECK GOING INTO IT.

>> Stephen: THE SECRET TO PICKLEBALL, IN MY OPINION, IS

THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD IS ABOUT TWICE AS GOOD AS THE WORST

PLAYER IN THE WORLD. YOU CAN GRADE PICKLEBALL

PLAYERS-- >> YOU'RE ALREADY AT 90%.

>> Stephen: ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TWO, THAT'S HOW YOU RATE

PICKLEBALL PLAYERS. YOU CAME IN AS A SOLID ONE AND

ENDED AS A TWO. >> THAT'S ALL IT TOOK.

>> I FELT LIKE AN IMPOSTOR, TRUTH BE TOLD, I WAS KIND OF

CALLED IN AT THE LAST MINUTE -- >> Stephen: WE HAD ANOTHER

PLAYER TESTED POSITIVE AT THE LAST MOMENT.

>> MORE FAMOUS THAN ME. >> I WAS 26 HOURS' WARNING I

THINK IT WAS. AND THE EXECUTIVE AT CBS AND

CALLED ME AND SAID, "I JUST NOTICED, PHIL, THAT YOUR NAME IS

NOT ONs LIST." I WAS LIKE, "REALLY?"

AND THEY WERE LIKE, "WHEN I FOUND OUT, I HAD TO DO SOMETHING

ABOUT IT." AND I SAD, ALL RIGHT, WHO GOT

SICK?" AND THERE WAS SILENCE AND, "WHAT

ARE YOU DOING ON FRIDAY?" >> Stephen: BUT YOU'RE THE

CHAMPION AFTER NOT TRAINING AT ALL, AND EMMA WATSON IS OVER

THERE, M.V.P. >> EMMA WATSON LIKE METHOD ACTED

HER WAY THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. I DON'T THINK SHE PLAYED

PICKLEBALL AT ALL, SHE HIRED SOMEBODY.

>> SHE PUT MEs IN, LIKE, LITTLE BLOOD.

>> Stephen: YOU SAID EMMA WATSON DREW BLOOD ON YOU?

>> WHEN I WENT INTO THE BACK RAWL--

>> HE GOT HURT, AND SHE SMILED AND KIND OF LAUGHED ABOUT IT.

SHE WAS HAPPY. >> Stephen: FAMOUSLY CRUEL

PERSON, EMMA WATSON. >> IT WAS A LITTLE HURTFUL, TO

BE HONEST WITH YOU. I LOVE HER.

SHE'S SO GOOD. >> WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE

NEXT LEVEL. >> Stephen: DIERKS, I HEARD

YOUR SON RECENTLY WON A CHAMPIONSHIP OF HIS OWN.

>> HE DID. >> Stephen: TELL ME ABOUT

THAT? >> HE PLAYS TRAVEL HOCKEY, I'M A

TRAVEL HOCKEY DAD, AND MY WIFE TRAVELS,s TOO SPEAKING ABOUT

MOTIVATION. I'M ALL ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO

MOTIVATE MYSELF, AND MOTIVATE MY FAMILY, AND KNOX'S TEAM WAS OFF

TO A SLOW START AND WE AND THE DADS HAD AN IDEA, TELL THEM IF

THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WE'D TAKE THEM TO HOOTERS.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT. THEY WON.

THEY DIDN'T LET A GOAL GO IN FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES.

>> Stephen: HOW OLD IS HE? >> NINE.

>> Stephen: DAD OF THE YEAR. THAT'S ABOUT AS OLD AS A PERSON

SHOULD BE AND STILL ENJOY GOING TO HOOTERS.

( LAUGHTER ). >> Stephen: LISTEN, PEOPLE

KNOW YOU AS A WORLD-CLASS PICKLEBALL PLAYER MOSTLY AT THIS

POINT. BUT YOU DO STILL PLAY COUNTRY

MUSIC. >> JUST FOR YOU.

>> Stephen: YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO

BE DOING? >> I HAVE A BRAND NEW SONG,

CALLED "GOLD" COMING OUT IN FEBRUARY, I GUESS, AND IT'S ALL

ABOUT PICKLEBALL, FOLK S. >> Stephen: DIERKS,

CONGRATULATIONS. PHIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

BEING HERE, MAN. THERE YOU GO.

THE WINNERS OF THE COLBERT CUP. YOU CAN STREAM "PICKLED" ON

PARAMOUNT+ AND CATCH PHIL ON "THE AMAZING RACE" AND "TOUGH AS

NAILS" WHICH PREMIERES JANUARY 4th.

DIERKS BENTLEY AND PHIL KEOGHAN, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY DIERKS.