Jon Stewart Is Returning To Host The Daily Show, But There's A Catch
Jon Stewart is returning to host "The Daily Show" — kind of.
Back in 2015, ahead of the highly chaotic 2016 presidential election, Jon Stewart retired from "The Daily Show," handing over the reins to comedian Trevor Noah. Headlines were made in 2022 when Noah stepped down from the gig, leaving no host in place for the iconic Comedy Central late-night staple. Since then, a variety of guests hosts and "Daily Show" correspondents have stepped in, filling in Noah and Stewart's tall shoes as execs scrambled to fill the spot permanently. Now, Paramount Global Network has confirmed that the search is sort of over, with Stewart ready to step back into the host's chair... with a catch.
Stewart will be "The Daily Show" host for Monday nights as the 2024 presidential election cycle heats up. His first day back in the seat is February 12 2024. Variety says that Stewart's "oversight" role could extend to 2025. With Stewart only taking the Monday gig, various other "Daily Show" correspondents will lead the program from Tuesday to Thursday nights.
Seeing as Comedy Central has been struggling to find a host for a very long time, it's an extremely sound decision on their part to bring Stewart back, even if it's just once a week. Stewart has always been a ratings juggernaut and having him return should be the perfect boost that "The Daily Show" needs in the streaming era. "Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season," said MTV Entertainment boss Chris McCarthy in a statement.
The Daily Show is the perfect gig for Jon Stewart
It seems like Jon Stewart is excited to get back to work, as the comedian and cultural tastemaker took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to issue his own statement. "Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!" Stewart wrote, before sharing his height and weight stats.
Fans of "The Daily Show" are overwhelmingly pleased with Stewart's return. After all, Stewart turned the late-night series into a satirical staple that continues to hold cultural weight. While the return may seem like this is a last-ditch effort to salvage the series as it struggles to find a host, it's interesting how Stewart is only stepping in front of the camera once a week. This gives the other hosts plenty of time to shine and build their own fanbase.
And if Stewart's run is praised and a solid return to form, it's possible that the comedian could permanently return to the gig once the 2024 hellfire election wraps up in November. Following his departure from the series, Stewart continued to keep busy, making his directorial debut with the Steve Carrell-starring political comedy "Irresistible." Released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film mostly went under the radar and failed to find much footing with critics — it has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Stewart later returned in front of the camera for Apple TV+'s "The Problem with Jon Stewart," which only lasted for two seasons.
For Comedy Central and Stewart, this is a win-win scenario. The network has its poster child back, and Stewart has a job that he (and everyone else) knows he's good at.
Jon Stewart returns to "The Daily Show" on February 12 2024.