Jon Stewart's Departure Opens Doors For New Talent: Who Will Replace The Host?

The replacement for Daily Show host Jon Stewart, who announced his decision to leave the program earlier this week, is yet to be officially announced by the executives at Comedy Central, as reported in the Chicago Tribune.

Doug Herzog, the president of Viacom Entertainment Group, merely commented that the person to replace the host will still be discussed among the show's producers and writers as well as with Stewart himself. The intensive search for the replacement of the host of such widely recognized satirical political show lies in the massive influence of both Stewart and the program to the American public.

The Daily Show has become a staple program tuned in by most citizens who aspire to obtain a more comprehensive, yet humorous, perspective of today's political and social issues. Unsurprisingly, the comments made by the show's host have been sought after by the public in an effort to make more sense of the hard news delivered every day.

Sophia McClennen, a professor at Penn State and the writer behind Is Satire Saving Our Nation?: Mockery And American Politics, commented that it is " almost impossible to estimate the impact that Jon Stewart has had on correcting misinformation in the media and calling out our politicians when they need to be called out."

Meanwhile, former United States president Bill Clinton took his reaction to Twitter. "Jon Stewart's departure raises 2 Qs: 1) Where will I get my news each night? 2) Does this mean he's doing a sequel to Death to Smoochy?" he posted in his social media page.

In an emotional speech on Tuesday, Stewart informed the fans and followers of the show about his decision to leave. "Now, I would imagine, as this show is airing, there may be information out there that the audience is not yet aware of. So, I will just... tell you," he began.

"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 that I have ever in my life held a job by 16 years and five months," the host shared as he described the opportunity granted to him several years back. "But, in my heart I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity," he disclosed to a stunned audience.