'The Daily Show' taps Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, and more as guest hosts
Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, and more all-star correspondents have been tapped to guest host The Daily Show once the late night news program returns on Jan. 17.
Al Franken, D. L. Hughley, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Marlon Wayans are also on the roster following host Trevor Noah's departure from the Comedy Central and Paramount+ program on Dec. 8.
"As we enter Trevor's final week, we want to thank him for his many contributions," Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks, said in a statement. "Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him, and as we look to the future, we are excited to reimagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely talented Daily Show team."
Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images; Momodu Mansaray/WireImage Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, and John Leguizamo
Noah, who replaced Stewart in 2015, announced his departure on a September episode of the show. He looked back at the last seven years of his stint as host, "and then, I realized that after the seven years, my time is up," he said to a stunned audience. "But in the most beautiful way. Honestly. I've loved hosting the show. It's been one of my greatest challenges. It's been one of my greatest joys."
"I have loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh, even when the stories are particularly sh—y on the worst days," Noah continued. "You know, we've laughed together, we've cried together. But after seven years, I feel like it's time." He cited the desire to get back out on the road and return to his standup comedy roots.
"You know, standup was done, and when I got back out there again, I realized there's another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring," Noah said. "I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I miss just being everywhere, doing everything."
Noah said he was "really grateful to a network who believed in this random comedian nobody knew on this side of the world."
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