What did Jon Stewart get up to during his The Daily Show hiatus? Returning just in time for the 2024 US presidential elections, the comedian also inspired Trevor Noah, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert
- Stewart began hosting the satirical news show in 1999 and left in 2015 – now he’s returning as an occasional host just in time for a presidential race likely to include Donald Trump and Joe Biden
- His first guest on the show was Michael J. Fox and he’s also spoken to Barack Obama – but his Apple TV+ series The Problem with Jon Stewart was controversially cut short at just 2 seasons
Jon Stewart caused a stir when he left his highly successful role as host of The Daily Show in 2015 – and sparked a similar furore on January 24, when it was announced that he would be returning to the satirical news show every Monday starting on February 12.
“Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honoured 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,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios.
Even throughout his hiatus from the show though, he remained one of America’s most influential and thought-provoking voices. It was Stewart who created a new niche of political satire in US culture, and he has been instrumental in helping and influencing the careers of major comedians today including Trevor Noah, John Oliver and Stephen Colbert.
He also advocated for 9/11 first responders and, in 2019, was awarded with the New York City Bronze Medallion for his efforts around the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act.
So what has he been up to since 2015? Let’s take a look ...
The Daily Show phenomenon
Stewart debuted as the host of The Daily Show on January 11, 1999. He was awkward in front of the cameras while speaking to his first guest, Michael J. Fox, as he tried to adjust to the previous format of the show. But then he found his voice, focused on what he was good at and took control. From 1999 to 2015, Stewart was one of America’s foremost social voices.
