'The Daily Show' gets new host amid late-night upheaval

USA Today

a day ago

From Comedy Central's World News Headquarters in New York, it's "The Daily Show" with… wait, who is Josh Johnson?
The award-winning news comedy show, which propelled Jon Stewart to fame and saw him return as a one-day-a-week anchor in 2024, is adding a new rotating host to its lineup.
Johnson, who has been a writer on the show since 2017 and an onscreen presence since 2024, will take his first turn as a host this week, anchoring the July 22 show (11 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central). He will join the rotating cast of anchors who have helped to guide the program into a new format after host Trevor Noah (Stewart's first replacement) left the desk in 2022.
Other anchors include Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic.
Jon Stewart questions fate of 'The Daily Show' amid merger as Colbert's 'Late Show' axed
Who is Josh Johnson?
Johnson, a fresh face with a healthy social media following, represents a new wave of comedians who win fans beyond traditional stand-up gigs and performances on the late-night circuit, adding internet fame into the mix.
He enters the hosting circuit at a perilous time for late-night programming, fresh off the heels of the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," which shares parent company Paramount with "The Daily Show."
Colbert, an ex-"Daily Show" comic and Stewart disciple, announced Paramount's decision, which will axe not just his position but the entire CBS late-night show, during an episode last week. The decision, the company said in a statement, was "purely financial," while some in the industry have cast doubt on that claim, arguing instead that it may be the result of political kowtowing.
Paramount is seeking the FCC's approval for a proposed $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Days before "The Late Show's" sunsetting was announced, Colbert criticized Paramount for settling President Donald Trump's defamation lawsuit, calling the $16 million donation to Trump's future presidential library "a big fat bribe" to his administration that could help earn FCC approval for the merger.
Whether the ramifications of Colbert's cancellation will reach across channels to Comedy Central remains to be seen. "The Daily Show" caters to a slightly different, more politically wonky audience, while "The Late Show" was once known for its more entertainment-focused tone. Colbert brought a sharper, politically critical timbre.
Before Colbert's cancellation was even announced, though, Stewart said his spidey senses were activated.
During a July 17 episode of his podcast, the comedian said he's uncertain about the future of "The Daily Show" but knows it brings "value."
"They haven't called me and said, 'Don't get too comfortable in that office, Stewart.' But let me tell you something. I've been kicked out of" worse "establishments than that. We'll land on our feet," he continued.
"Without 'The Daily Show,' Comedy Central's kind of like Muzak at this point," he said. "I think we're the only sort of life that exists on a current basis, other than 'South Park.' I'd like to think we bring enough value to the property, like if they're looking at it as purely a real estate transaction, I think we bring a lot of value."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson