First it was Stephen Colbert, and now it's Jon Stewart. After the former comedic talk show host left his spot as host of The Colbert Report in December, Stewart just announced today he's also stepping down from the Comedy Central job he's hosted since 1996.
The A.V. Club reported on the surprising news. As footage of his send-off does not come until later tonight, it's unclear what exactly caused Stewart to say enough is enough with the hosting gig. Colbert, of course, left his position to take over The Late Show on September 8.
Speculation as to why Stewart stepped down has already caused some rumors. Some think he's hoping to continue this filmmaking career, which he started with Rosewater last fall. A.V. Club even speculates Brian Williams troubles has something to do with this, though that could just be their typical dry sarcasm. Of course, he could just be tired of having the same job for nearly twenty years and wants to
Meanwhile, Comedy Central posted a lovely send-off to their trusted news man in a tweet not long after this news leaked. That can be found below. It explains Stewart plans to stay on the air until the end of the year, and that the station plans to endure The Daily Show "for years to come." In addition to The Daily Show, they also have The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, which started just last month as a replacement for Colbert's show. Who could possibly replace Stewart is anyone's guess, especially since John Oliver — his temporary replacement — already has his own show, Last Week Tonight, on HBO.
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