Jon Stewart Pops Up on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ During Night Off From ‘Daily Show’

For those who were wondering, “Where in the world is Jon Stewart?” when tuning in to Monday’s The Daily Show (which was hosted by correspondent Jordan Klepper), viewers only had to tune in to Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Stewart, who has been behind the desk at the Comedy Central staple on Mondays for two months, took the night off the desk for the Netflix Is a Joke festival happening in Los Angeles. On Friday, he headlined at The Greek Theatre for his “Jon Stewart and Friends” show, which saw him bring out Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman and Mike Birbiglia as special guests. Stewart is also slated to be a guest on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. on Netflix this week, a set of live talk shows that are part of the streamer’s fest.

While in L.A., Stewart also decided to spend time with Kimmel and his family, it seems. The Daily Show executive producer appeared in a pretaped segment on Kimmel’s Monday night show that followed up on a prior bit where the Kimmel clan picked up a hitchhiker who just happened to be pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo — a favorite of the Kimmel kids, as the late night host mentions in his intro to the Stewart clip.

With Molly McNearney riding shotgun and his son, Billy, and daughter, Jane, in the back seat as they are being chauffeured to school, Kimmel decides to repeat October’s spontaneous hitchhiker pickup. But this was no pop star beloved by the 7- and 9-year-old kids — this time, it’s the sardonic comic turned political influencer and freshly returned people’s champ of late night cable TV.

Following an awkward climb into the SUV’s middle seat and some sing-along fun that has young Billy clawing at the car door, Stewart asks the kids if they had the same good feeling seeing him as they had when they picked up Rodrigo. The very polite Jane answers in the affirmative; Stewart, elated, leans up to tell Kimmel, “Your daughter’s the nicest person I’ve ever met!”

The car convo with the kids moves to Stewart’s aging and skin care, but takes a turn as he grows hungry to talk about Arby’s — a “diarrhea factory,” as far as the day’s back seat guest is concerned, but also the caterer at Kimmel’s 30th birthday party, the host (maybe) jokes. Then, before the ride ends, Stewart requests that one Rodrigo song be played. (Cover your ears for his big finish because Carpool Karaoke, this ain’t.) By the end of the segment, Kimmel’s latest hitchhiker is 86’d from the family car. 

Still, Stewart managed to get an invite to the taping of Monday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, where he presented his late night TV brother with a bag of roast beef from what must be his least favorite fast food chain. 

Stewart will be back at The Daily Show on Thursday for a make-good and will continue hosting once a week through the presidential election.