He’s back! Comedy Central confirmed that Jon Stewart will return to The Daily Show just in time to cover the 2024 presidential election. However, the former host will only be on the air Monday evenings while other hosts take the reins for the rest of the week. Plus, his return is only scheduled to last through the elections.
“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,” Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement on January 24, 2024. “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.”
Jon also took a moment to acknowledge his return via X (formerly known as Twitter.)
“Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!” he joked.
The announcement came as an exciting surprise for fans, but when did Jon leave The Daily Show and why?
When Did Jon Stewart Leave ‘The Daily Show’?
Jon took on the role as host of The Daily Show in 1999, and the late night show skyrocketed in popularity. However, his contract ended in 2015 and that’s when Jon chose to hand over the role to someone else.
Since his departure, Jon’s served as an executive producer of CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert along with a few other projects like his Apple TV+ series, The Problem With Jon Stewart.
Why Did Jon Stewart Leave ‘The Daily Show’?
Even though Jon’s contract ran out in 2015, that wasn’t the only reason the talk show host decided to leave what he called “the most perfect job in the world.” In an interview with The Guardian published in April 2015, the political commentator said that he wasn’t “getting the same satisfaction” from his hosting duties as he previously did.
Others assumed that Jon wanted to pursue his directing career after the debut of his film Rosewater, but the New York City native said that wasn’t why.
“Honestly, it was a combination of the limitations of my brain and a format that is geared towards following an increasingly redundant process, which is our political process,” Jon explained in his interview with The Guardian. “I was just thinking, ‘Are there other ways to skin this cat?’ And, beyond that, it would be nice to be home when my little elves get home from school, occasionally.”
Jon shares two kids with his wife Tracey McShane – a son Nathan, who was born in 2004, and daughter Maggie, who was born in 2006.
When Is Jon Stewart Returning to ‘The Daily Show’?
Comedy Central plans for Jon to step back behind the desk of The Daily Show starting on February 12, 2024.
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