Jon Stewart quits The Daily Show, second blow to Comedy Central after Stephen Colbert
11 Feb 2015 10:34 PM IST
After 16 years behind the 'Daily Show' news desk, Jon Stewart is retiring
Los Angeles: The man who created an unlikely source of news and analysis with his biting and free-wheeling humor on The Daily Show - Jon Stewart - is all set to leave as host this year, Comedy Central announced on Tuesday.
His departure was announced by Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless after Stewart, host of the show since 1999, broke the news to the audience at Tuesday's taping in New York. "Through his 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," Ganeless said in a statement.
She called Stewart a "comic genius." He will remain as host until later this year, she said, but did not specify a date. His departure is a second big blow for Comedy Central: Another star, Stephen Colbert, left The Colbert Report last year to take over from CBS late-night host David Letterman when he retires in May.
The Stewart and Colbert shows created templates for a comedic form that offered laughs along with trenchant political and social satire. Authors and politicians were as common as Hollywood celebrities on their shows.
Stewart took a several months-long hiatus in 2013 to direct Rosewater, a film about an Iranian-born journalist who was imprisoned for 118 days in Tehran and accused of being a spy. The Comedy Central statement did not indicate what his plans were after leaving.
( Source : AP )
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