After 16 years as host of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart will be moving on. The show, however, will continue with an as of yet unannounced host. Comedy Central has just issued the following statement on the matter:
“For the better part of the last two decades, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with John Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, ‘The Daily Show’ has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come. Jon will remain at the helm of ‘The Daily Show’ until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family.”
Stewart took a brief hiatus from “The Daily Show” back in the summer of 2013 so that he could shoot his directorial debut, Rosewater (which hits DVD and Blu-ray today). John Oliver filled in for Stewart at the time, although Oliver has since found no small amount of success with his new series, HBO’s “Last Week Tonight.” The news also comes in the wake of Stephen Colbert ending “The Colbert Report” late last year with plans to take over hosting duties on “The Late Show” from David Letterman later this year.
Stewart began on “The Daily Show” in 1999, taking over from the former host, Craig Kilborn. Under Stewart, “The Daily Show” has grown tremendously and has been the recipient of dozens of awards, including 20 primetime Emmys for Stewart himself.
