Comedy Central says that Jon Stewart will leave “The Daily Show” as host later this year.
His departure was announced by Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless after Stewart broke the news to the audience at Tuesday’s taping in New York.
Stewart took over the show in 1999. He took a several months-long hiatus in 2013 to direct “Rosewater,” a film about an Iranian-born journalist who was accused of being a spy and imprisoned for 118 days in Tehran.
The network lost another major host last year when Stephen Colbert left to take over David Letterman’s late night show on CBS later this year.
Members of Stewart’s studio audience began sharing on social media Tuesday that Stewart broke the news during the taping of the show.
Comedy Central released a statement shortly after taping audience members began to share the news on social media.
Here is the statement from Comedy Central:
“For the better part of the last two decades, we have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Steward. 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 is 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,m generous with his time and taken, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family.”
There is no word on what Stewart’s next career move will be.
