Jon Stewart is reportedly negotiating to continue his role as the host of “The Daily Show,” a position he resumed in early 2024 after originally departing in 2015. The comedian’s current contract with Comedy Central is set to expire in December, and discussions are underway for an extension.
During a conversation at the New Yorker Festival on Sunday, Stewart revealed his intentions to stay with the show. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, Stewart, who now hosts the show exclusively on Mondays, expressed a strong desire to maintain his position if it were solely his decision. The 62-year-old, known for his Emmy-winning work, emphasized the complexities involved in his decision-making process.
“We’re working on staying,” Stewart stated, as quoted by Deadline. “It’s not as clear cut as all that. They’ve already done things that I’m upset about. But then if I had integrity, maybe I would stand up and go, ‘I’m out.’ Or maybe the integrity thing to do would be to stay in it and keep fighting in the foxhole.”
Stewart’s remarks come almost a year after he extended his contract into 2025. Since then, notable changes have occurred at Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount, which has since merged with David Ellison’s Skydance. These developments add an extra layer of intrigue to Stewart’s ongoing negotiations.
“We’re working on staying. Look, the other thing to remember is it’s not as clear cut as all that,” Stewart said, according to Deadline. “They’ve already done things that I’m upset about. But then if I had integrity, maybe I would stand up and go, ‘I’m out.’ Or maybe the integrity thing to do would be to stay in it and keep fighting in the foxhole.”
Stewart’s comments come nearly a year after he extended his contract for much of 2025. Since then, Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount, has merged with David Ellison’s Skydance.
Stewart has heavily criticized the newly merged media company after it was announced that Paramount Skydance would cancel CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” for financial reasons.
“Last week, as you may have heard, CBS, which happens to have the same parent company as the network this program currently airs on, unceremoniously canceled ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Stewart said at the time. “The fact that CBS didn’t try to save their number one rated network late night franchise that’s been on the air for over three decades is part of what’s making everybody wonder, was this purely financial, or maybe the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger.”
“This is not the moment to give in. I’m not giving in. I’m not going anywhere. I think,” he added.
The Emmy winner hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 through 2015, delivering sharp, satirical takes on politics and current events and interviews with newsmakers.
