Written by Stephen M. Lepore for Dailymail.Com
January 25, 2024 02:30, updated January 25, 2024 02:39
- Stewart announced that he will return to the show on February 12 to host the Monday segment
- Oliver worked on the Comedy Central show from 2006 to 2013
- Trevor Noah also posted on social media cheering Stewart’s return
Former Daily Show reporter John Oliver was stunned to hear the news of Jon Stewart’s return to the late-night show, comparing it to Michael Jordan’s comeback.
Oliver worked on Comedy Central from 2006 to 2013, including a critically acclaimed guest-hosting gig that earned him an invitation to host HBO’s Last Week Tonight.
During an interview with the Today Show on Wednesday, Oliver learned the news before the chat even began.
“I mean, it was a real surprise,” Oliver said. “This is a show that needs a host. He’s a really, really good guy. So yeah, it’s going to be exciting to see what he does.”
The Daily Show has been without a host since Trevor Noah left at the end of 2022, with a series of guest hosts filling the void around the time of the WGA strike.
Comedy Central said Stewart will host the show every Monday night starting Feb. 12, with a rotating cast of regulars hosting the remainder of the week, and serve as executive producer.
Oliver suggested former reporter Roy Wood Jr. and former NBC host Amber Ruffin as potential permanent replacements, but admitted he’s excited to see what Stewart does ahead of the 2024 White House battle.
Oliver added, “I would hire Roy Wood, or Amber Ruffin would be great, but it would be very exciting to see Jon again in an election year.”
Longtime “Daily Show” correspondent Wood Jr. left the show in October after he was not considered for the full-time host position.
He then compared it to Michael Jordan retiring and then returning to the NBA, saying, “Jordan is back.”
Before Oliver signed on to host the HBO show, which has been airing since 2014, many considered him a potential successor to Stewart.
Noah expressed his excitement on X: “Yes, he’s back.”
The South African comedian was scheduled to be a guest on “The Daily Show” alum Stephen Colbert’s CBS show on Monday night.
Colbert, who has frequently used Stewart’s talents as a guest and commentator since his departure from Comedy Central, has yet to comment.
Stewart jokingly referenced college football’s transfer portal when announcing his return to The X.
‘friends. After much consideration, I decided to enter the transfer portal for my final year of eligibility. Excited about the future!
Stewart spent 16 years as host of “The Daily Show,” making people laugh through impersonations of George W. Bush and comedic exchanges with reporters Colbert, Oliver and Samantha Bee.
His satirical coverage of the day’s events often provided a better insight into reality than some mainstream news stations. He left the show in 2015, handing it over to Noah. The Daily Show has been without a permanent host since Noah left last year.
“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 understand the issues plaguing the country as we enter election season,” said President and CEO of madness and division.” Produced by Chris McCarthy, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios.
“In our age of hypocrisy and performance politics, Jon is the perfect person to cut through the empty rhetoric and use his brilliant intellect to provide much-needed clarity.”
Under Stewart’s leadership, “The Daily Show” won more than 20 Primetime Emmy Awards.
Stewart posted “Friends” on X (formerly Twitter). After much consideration, I decided to enter the transfer portal for my final year of eligibility. Excited about the future!
Noah left “The Daily Show” after seven years at the helm, and the late-night infotainment show’s ratings plummeted.
Since his departure, comedians including Kal Penn, Charlamagne Towers, Leslie Jones, Sarah Silverman and Marlon Wayans have taken turns hosting the show.
Wood had a subtle message on his lips as Noah accepted his award at last week’s Emmy Awards.
Lip readers realized that as Wood stood next to South African-born Noah to accept his Emmy, he was mouthing the words: “Please hire a host.”
Wood confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter: “I said, ‘Hire a host.'” I probably shouldn’t do it, but this has been going on for too long. Unite! … But I’m happy (Noah) won.
Hassan Minhaj was reportedly the top contender to replace Noah, but he was ruled out after The New Yorker published an interview admitting that he had made up many of the stories.
Minhaj fired back, calling the claims “unnecessarily misleading” and promising he was “not crazy.”
In October, Apple canceled Stewart’s follow-up to “The Daily Show,” “The Jon Stewart Question.”
The weekly series bills itself as a deep dive into important issues through interviews and discussions.
However, the show was slammed as dull and stuck in the past by critics, who said it didn’t make them laugh and that it was too reminiscent of the original “The Daily Show.”
The show only briefly made headlines for an episode in which Stewart formally apologized for an old joke he made mocking transgender people.