Jon Stewart to host ‘The Daily Show’ through December 2026

Jon Stewart isn’t quite ready to leave the anchor desk.

Stewart will continue to host Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” every Monday through December 2026, keeping the political satirist in the chair for next year’s midterm congressional and gubernatorial elections.

Paramount announced the news Monday, putting an end to questions about Stewart’s immediate future with the late-night show he originally hosted full-time from 1999 to 2015 before returning last year on a one-night-a-week basis.

“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,’” Comedy Central head Ari Pearce said in a statement.

“The renewal is a win for audiences, for Comedy Central and for all our programming partners. We’re proud to support Jon and the extraordinary news team,” Pearce added.

Stewart’s deal extension comes during a period of intense upheaval for Comedy Central’s parent corporation and the late-night comedy genre writ large.

Paramount was recently acquired in a blockbuster $8 billion deal by Skydance, a media company run by David Ellison. Skydance’s portfolio now includes the Paramount Pictures studio, the CBS broadcast network and the Paramount+ streaming platform.

Ellison has also taken control of a collection of legacy cable assets — Comedy Central, MTV and VH1 among them — that have hemorrhaged viewers after years of cord-cutting and a wider shift from linear television to streaming.

Meanwhile, late-night comedy in general is struggling to keep its edge. CBS plans to take Stephen Colbert’s talk show off the air next year, leaving a hole on the broadcast lineup that for decades was occupied by “The Late Show.”

CBS previously canceled the short-lived “After Midnight,” a late-night show that followed Colbert’s on the lineup. “The Late Late Show with James Corden” ended its nine-season run in 2023.

“The Daily Show” debuted in 1996 under host Craig Kilborn, but it did not start to gain traction until Stewart took over three years later. He sharpened the show’s focus on politics, winning a loyal audience with coverage of the chaotic 2000 election aftermath.

Stewart helmed the series through the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He left the show near the end of Obama’s second term, as President Donald Trump mounted his first campaign for the White House.

Trevor Noah succeeded Stewart, hosting from 2015 to 2022. Since then, “The Daily Show” has not had a permanent emcee, instead featuring a rotating cast.

The roster of “Daily Show” hosts for the other nights of the week includes Ronny Chieng, Josh Johnson, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic. Stewart will continue to serve as one of the show’s executive producers, Paramount said.