Jon Stewart is adding another hosting gig to his Daily Show plate — though this one isn’t on camera.
Stewart, who returned to The Daily Show for a once-a-week turn behind the desk in February, will host a podcast for Comedy Central beginning in June. It will be called The Weekly Show and will essentially bea an audio version of The Daily Show, with Stewart delving into pressing topics from the news and interviewing newsmakers, authors and celebrities.
“After much reflection, meditation, and prayer, I have decided to extend my work week to two days,” Stewart joked in a statement. “All hail Comedy Central!”
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Stewart has been back at The Daily Show — which he hosted for 16 years before stepping aside in 2015 — for about two months, following Comedy Central’s surprise announcement that he’d anchor the late-night show on Mondays (except for this week) through the presidential election. His return has been a ratings boon for the show, both on the nights he hosts and over the rest of the week, where the show’s correspondents have taken turns behind the anchor desk.
“Jon’s return to The Daily Show has been a runaway success — a powerful reminder of why he’s the voice of our generation and so critical to the national conversation,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios and one of three execs newly appointed to the office of the CEO at parent company Paramount Global. “This new podcast enables Jon to delve even deeper into complex issues and make sense of it for all for us through his razor-sharp wit and indelible humor.”
Stewart’s Weekly Show podcast will live alongside the existing Daily Show: Ears Edition, an audio-only version of the nightly TV telecast. The latter show has also benefited from Stewart’s return, claiming a spot as a top 10 comedy podcast.
Paramount Audio and Stewart’s Busboy Productions will produce The Weekly Show. Dixon Talent and WME, which rep Stewart, brokered the deal.
