Stewart’s Retirement Cues Buzz of Successor

By Nicole Pieri

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Jon Stewart announced to his “Daily Show” audience that he will be stepping down as the longtime host of the groundbreaking late-night Comedy Central show later this year.

This was not necessarily shocking or unexpected. Stewart spent the summer of 2013 in Iran shooting his film Rosewater, which established the comedian and anchor as a serious director. Upon the release of Rosewater, Stewart began hinting at his inevitable exit, saying in a November interview with Fresh Air, “Maybe it’s time for some discomfort.” Additionally, Stewart’s most successful mentee Stephen Colbert left the “Colbert Report” desk in December 2014 to become the first successor of “The Late Show.” The timing of the announcement made perfect sense.

Nevertheless, this news came as a huge blow to fans everywhere. Over the past 16 years, Stewart has become one of America’s most beloved — and even trusted — news anchors and comedians. For the millennial generation, Stewart has been an iconic figure in learning about government and politics. His ability to simultaneously enlighten and entertain his audience started a revolution in late-night television that inspired the style of political humor that is so popular today.

While many are mourning the coming loss, many more are speculating about which comedian should fill in for the legend if the show is to continue. The options are seemingly endless, as there is never a shortage of unique, comedic voices hoping to step into the satirical-news anchor role. Yet, there are two particular comedians who are leading the race.

Jessica Williams, currently a correspondent for Stewart on “The Daily Show,” is by far the frontrunner. At only twenty-five-years-old, Williams has made quite a name for herself, appearing on the covers of magazines with featured articles and has being named by Time as a black leader who is making a difference in the country.

Not only are her segments some of the most hilarious and insightful on the show, but the fact that Williams is a woman of color also sets her apart from her white male counterparts who typically dominate the late-night comedy scene.

Despite Williams herself claiming that she is not prepared to helm “The Daily Show,” many believe that she would be the perfect replacement for Stewart.

Englishman, John Oliver, is another comedian whom fans of “The Daily Show” would like to see take over. Oliver already has plenty of experience: he is a former correspondent for Stewart and even filled in for the host for the summer of 2013 during the filming of Rosewater.

Currently, Oliver is hosting the critically-acclaimed “Last Week Tonight,” a program on HBO that shares the same format as “The Daily Show” but airs weekly on Sunday nights. His commentaries on the Miss America pageant and the state of America’s prisons have reached millions of views on his YouTube channel. It is not too far-fetched to think Oliver and “Last Week Tonight” could move to basic cable.

Stewart told his studio audience that, as of now, his only specific plans post-“Daily Show” include having “dinner on a school night with my family.” A date for his last episode has yet to be set. Whether Williams, Oliver or another funny, politically-inclined comedian will take over is still a mystery, but it will most definitely be the media’s main focus of Stewart’s departure for the foreseeable future.