Los Angeles [US], January 27 : After a months-long hunt for a new host, the Paramount Global network announced that Jon Stewart, who reigned over the late-night mainstay's most successful era, will serve as host and programme director on Monday evenings for the 2024 election cycle, Variety reported.
He is scheduled to serve an overseeing role at 'Daily' that might last until 2025, and his on-air responsibilities will begin on February 12.
"Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honoured 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 Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, 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."
https://twitter.com/jonstewart/status/1750199599703162955
Stewart made his announcement on X after the news broke, saying that he's "decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility."
Stewart is the character most closely associated with 'Daily,' and he transformed it from Comedy Central's attempt to enter the late-night market into a cultural institution that established a touchstone for much of television's younger demographic.
Comedy Central has faced heavy scrutiny over the last year as it tried out a variety of possible presenters, including Leslie Jones, Kal Penn, and Sarah Silverman, following Trevor Noah's sudden departure at the end of 2022.
Executives are determined to maintain the programme, which is a trademark series for both the network and its parent company, Paramount Global, especially in an election year, as per Variety.
There has been speculation that Comedy Central may have reached out to people who did not appear in among "Daily's" array of guests. Two people familiar with the matter say executives tried to interest comedian John Mulaney, for example, in taking on host duties.
Executives at the network may be expecting that Stewart would foster new talent for "Daily," eventually finding the show's future leader.
Stewart's "Daily" stint helped launch the careers of numerous comedians, including John Oliver, Samantha Bee, and Steve Carell.
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