Jon Stewart Returns to Host“ The Daily Show ”for First Time in Nearly 9 Years

Stewart stepped down as host of the Comedy Central late night hit in 2015 after 16 years at the anchor desk

Jon Stewart is back on The Daily Show.

On Monday, the comedian, 61, returned to the Comedy Central hit for the first time in nearly a decade to rapturous applause after stepping down as host in August 2015.

Stewart, who fronted the show for 16 years, will both anchor and executive produce Monday night episodes of the late night show.

His slate as host will last through the upcoming 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5, and he'll continue to oversee the show through 2025.

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Stewart began his opening monologue by saying how "excited" he was to be back in the Daily Show seat, poking fun at bosses' decision to choose him for the job.

“I’m excited to be back,” Stewart told viewers. “Good to see you guys! Why am I back, you may be asking yourselves. It’s a very reasonable question."

"I have committed a lot of crimes and from what I understand, talk show hosts are granted immunity. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but take it up with the founders," he added, referencing Donald Trump's presidential immunity claims.

Related: Jon Stewart Crashes Roy Wood Jr.'s Hosting Gig in Surprise Appearance on 'The Daily Show'

Stewart's return comes after former Daily Show host Trevor Noah departed the gig in December 2022 after seven years.

Since Noah's exit, the show has seen a rotating series of guest hosts and has yet to cement its new leader.

Stewart's comeback was first revealed last month. In a statement, Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, called the host “the voice of our generation” after the news was announced.

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“We are honored 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,” the statement read. “In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”

After his 2015 Daily Show departure, Stewart returned to TV in 2021 with his Apple TV+ series, The Problem with Jon Stewart. However, the show was canceled after two seasons late last year.

Appearing on CBS Mornings on Monday, Stewart said that the show was canceled because "they didn't want me to say things that might get me in trouble." He also shared that his Daily Show return was prompted by wanting to “have some place to unload thoughts as we get into this election season."

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