Jon Stewart will remain the Monday host of Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' through the end of 2026, the network announced, extending his tenure despite ongoing uncertainty over parent company Paramount's direction under new ownership. Stewart, who returned to the show before the 2024 election, will also serve as executive producer until December 2026.
Comedy Central head Ari Pearce praised Stewart's continued involvement, stating: 'Jon Stewart continues to elevate the genre he created. His return is an ongoing commitment to the incisive comedy and sharp commentary that define The Daily Show.' The rest of the week will feature correspondents such as Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Josh Johnson and Desi Lydic rotating as hosts.
The extension comes after Paramount cancelled Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' on CBS, a move Stewart criticised as potentially politically motivated. Colbert, a former 'Daily Show' correspondent and close friend of Stewart, will exit in May 2025. Paramount cited financial reasons, but Stewart suggested the decision might be linked to the company's $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, which was approved by the Trump administration shortly after Colbert's show was axed.
Stewart has openly questioned whether his show could fall out of favour under new owner David Ellison, whose father Larry is a close Trump ally. 'We've all got a surmise about who actually is owning it and what his ideology is, but ideology may not play a part,' Stewart said during the merger process. He also joked about Ellison's media ambitions, saying: 'Shouldn't they all just be one? Shouldn't we get to a point where we're all just fired and hired by the same guy?'
Despite his disagreements with Ellison's moves, Stewart noted he was 'working on staying' with the show. 'They've already done things that I'm upset about,' he said at the New Yorker Festival. 'But then if I had integrity, maybe I would stand up and go, 'I'm out.' Or maybe the integrity thing to do would be to stay in it and keep fighting.'
