Jon Stewart is making a surprise return to US talk show The Daily Show after nine years, as host for one night a week during the US election campaign.
Stewart took over Comedy Central’s late-night slot in 1999 and turned it into one of US TV’s most influential topical shows before leaving in 2015.
His successor Trevor Noah stepped down in 2022, and producers have not found a permanent replacement.
Stewart will host on Monday nights from February until November’s election.
He will also be executive producer, and will continue to oversee the show into 2025, according to reports.
Fans welcomed the news, and his contribution is expected to give the show a boost for the period of the presidential campaign.
“Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honoured to have him return to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,” said Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios president and CEO Chris McCarthy.
“In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart won the Emmy Award for best variety series for 10 years in a row from 2003.
After leaving, Stewart has hosted The Problem With Jon Stewart on Apple TV+ and was executive producer of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Following his return, The Daily Show will be hosted for the rest of the week by correspondents including Desi Lydic, Michael Kosta and Ronny Chieng.