Dave Receives Thunderous Applause In First Night Back At Work Since Sex Scandal Broke

David Letterman took to the stage of the Ed Sullivan theater this afternoon for the first time since he revealed he was the victim of a bizarre extortion plot against him, where he received a standing ovation from the packed house.

"Did your weekend just fly by?" Dave deadpanned in typical fashion.

He went on to apologize to his wife by saying:

"She has been horribly hurt by my behavior and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. And at that point, there's only two things that can happen: either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me."

Regarding the apology he feels he owes to his staff:

"I'm terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position," he said. "Inadvertently, I just wasn't thinking ahead. And, moreover, the staff here has been wonderfully supportive to me, not just through this furor, but through all the years that we've been on television and especially all the years here at CBS, so, again, my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in."