Recently the folk at The Daily Show started a very funny podcast called The Daily Show Without Jon Stewart… Turns out, this was also a premonition of things to come, as Jon announced to his studio audience that, at some point in the not too distant future, he will be leaving the show after 17 years. The video is above, and some extracts below:
“Doug Herzog and Michele Ganeless of Comedy Central gave me an incredible opportunity 17 years ago to pilot this wonderful franchise, and 17 years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job — by 16 years and five months. The upshot there being I am a terrible employee.”
“But in my heart I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity. Not right away. We’re still working out the details. I’m up in September. It might be around then, it might be December, it might be July — we’re still working out the details. I don’t have specific plans — I’ve got a lot of ideas… I’m going to have a dinner, on a school night, with my family, who, I have heard from multiple sources, are lovely people.
“I’m not going to be here and try and sum up what this place has meant to me over the years. I couldn’t do that, and … I’m not going anywhere tomorrow. But this show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you. I don’t think I’m going to miss being on television every day. I’m going to miss coming here every day. I love the people here. They are the best — creative and collaborative and kind. I love them, and respect them so much.”
I’ll be incredibly sad to see him go, and he’s going to be tough to replace (especially with obvious choice John Oliver now having his own show on HBO). Whoever it is will have big shoes to fill.
The Daily Show airs on Comedy Central UK.
