The Daily Show still does not know who will take over for Trevor Noah full-time, which is a problem. However, fans of the Comedy Central series did get some great news when it was announced that Jon Stewart will be returning to the anchor's chair to lead the program on Mondays.
Now, this news about Stewart is fantastic, and I can't wait to see the longtime host of The Daily Show back behind the news desk. However, we seriously need to pick a full-time host people, we've been waiting for a very long time.
Jon Stewart Is Returning To Host The Monday Episodes Of The Daily Show
Following months and months of searching and temporary hosts after Trevor Noah left The Daily Show in 2022, Comedy Central decided to bring back Jon Stewart to lead the series on Monday nights throughout the 2024 TV schedule, and he's set to executive produce too. According to Variety, along with leading the Monday episodes through the election year, there's also potential for him to extend his "oversight role" through 2025.
President and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios Chris McCarthy commented on Stewart’s return, saying:
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. 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.
Along with this very formal statement, Jon Stewart took to X to share his on-brand and humorous thoughts about the news, writing:
Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!5’7” ish16514.8 second 40#Blessed #NILBABY #TDSnation #LFGMJanuary 24, 2024
Considering Stewart’s long history with The Daily Show – he started leading it in 1999 and left in 2015 with Trevor Noah taking over the hosting gig next – and the fact that his show The Problem with Jon Stewart ended last November, this is massive news. And I’m sure fans of the series are stoked to have him back; I know I am.
However, hosting on Mondays, so who will be behind the desk the rest of the week, and when will we finally get a permanent host?
While This Is Exciting, The Daily Show Really Needs To Pick A Full-Time Host
Along with Jon Stewart returning for Monday episodes, it’s been reported that The Daily Show will also rely on its correspondents and previous guest hosts to make their episodes. Of course, it’s fun to see the longtime cast taking on a new challenge on the Comedy Central staple. However, for decades, this series has been led by one person, and it feels really odd that no one has been hired yet.
There have been whispers about Noah’s successor though. At one point it was alleged that Hasan Minhaj could take over The Daily Show. Then, it was reported that Kal Penn was in the running to take over. However, there’s been no serious movement when it comes to actually hiring a new face for the iconic series.
As a fan who was introduced to both Stewart and Noah through The Daily Show, I’d love to see a comedian get the chance to find the success they have. It’s nice to see a familiar face night after night on TV, and I’m truly stoked that we’ll get that on Mondays as the iconic Jon Stewart comes back. But, his comeback is not permanent. I would love them to find someone who will lead every episode of the series for the foreseeable future and bring us into a new era of The Daily Show.
Jon Stewart will begin hosting the Monday shows starting on February 12. While he does that, which is very exciting might I add, I'll be waiting for The Daily Show to pick a full-time host, and watching reruns of his and Trevor Noah’s episodes with a Paramount+ subscription.
