Jon Stewart to return to 'The Daily Show' as search for Trevor Noah replacement continues
Jon Stewart is going home again.
The comedian will return to host Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" every Monday beginning Feb. 12, through the 2024 presidential election, the network announced Wednesday.
Stewart will also return as executive producer of "The Daily Show," the Emmy-winning satirical take on the news that airs Monday through Thursday (11 p.m. EST/PST). For the rest of each week's episodes, a rotating line-up of the show's correspondents will share hosting duties.
"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," Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios CEO and President Chris McCarthy said in a statement.
"In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit."
Stewart's first episode back as "The Daily Show" host will air the day after CBS's Super Bowl, where it will likely be heavily promoted on Comedy Central's sibling network.
Jon Stewart's return comes amid ongoing search for Trevor Noah's 'Daily Show' replacement
Stewart will be returning behind the desk in time for a presidential election that may be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. He signed off "The Daily Show" in 2015 less than two months after Trump announced his 2016 presidential campaign.
His shock return comes more than a year after Trevor Noah ended his seven-year run on "The Daily Show," leaving the program in need of a new host.
The show utilized a rotating series of guest hosts, including Leslie Jones and Sarah Silverman, after his departure but had yet to choose a permanent replacement after Hasan Minhaj, reportedly a leading candidate, faced unfavorable coverage in a New Yorker article of his truthfulness in his standup comedy.
After "The Daily Show" won an Emmy Award for outstanding talk series last week, former correspondent Roy Wood Jr. was spotted mouthing the words "hire a host" during Noah's acceptance speech. Wood had exited the show amid its host search but told NPR he would "consider" the permanent hosting job if it was offered.
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Jon Stewart's history with 'The Daily Show'
Under Stewart, "The Daily Show" won 24 Emmys.
He first took over as host of "The Daily Show" in 1999, succeeding Craig Kilborn. After leaving in 2015, he hosted the Apple TV+ show "The Problem with Jon Stewart."
It was canceled in 2023 after two seasons. The New York Times reported the comedian clashed with Apple executives over potential topics, including China and artificial intelligence.
Stewart has also remained in the public eye since leaving "The Daily Show" as an advocate for 9/11 first responders. He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2022.
John Oliver surprised by Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' return: 'It'll be exciting'
Several comedians who served as correspondents during Stewart's original 16-year "Daily Show" run have gone on to host their own late-night shows that similarly emphasize political satire, including CBS' "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert and HBO's "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver.
Oliver found out about the announcement shortly after the news broke Wednesday during an interview he was taping for "Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist."
"I mean that is a surprise," Oliver told Geist. "That’s a show that needs a host. He certainly is a very, very good one. So yeah, it’ll be exciting to see what he does."
He continued, "I do think after 2025 they should appoint a permanent host."
Oliver named his choices for a permanent host as well, telling Geist that he would have hired Wood Jr. or "The Amber Ruffin Show" host Amber Ruffin.
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Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Stewart 'Daily Show' return: Host is back after Trevor Noah exit
