Jon Stewart, who helped turn "The Daily Show" into a cultural force, is leaving the anchor's chair after nearly 17 years.
Comedy Central confirmed the news on Twitter:
Thank you Jon. pic.twitter.com/yPdxjnkuLw
— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) February 10, 2015According to the AV Club, Stewart announced he was leaving the show at the beginning of the taping for Tuesday's episode. Stewart will continue hosting the show until "later this year."
Stewart, 52, started hosting "The Daily Show" in January 1999, taking over for Craig Kilborn. Since then, the show has won 20 prime-time Emmys.
The late-night show became appointment television with Stewart as host, and he emerged as both a leading political satirist and one of toughest interviewers in the news media.
In 2008, The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani wondered whether Stewart was in fact "the most trusted man in America." But Stewart had turned to other projects outside of the show recently, directing his first feature film, "Rosewater," last year.
In a statement, Michele Ganeless, the president of Comedy Central, said she thought the show could outlast Stewart.
"Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Ganeless wrote in a statement, according to Politico. "Through his unique voice and vision, 'The Daily Show' has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come."
It is unclear what Stewart will do after leaving "The Daily Show."
But he has numerous other high-profile credits outside of the show. In addition to directing "Rosewater," a dramatic film about the detention of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari during Iran's election protests in 2009, Stewart starred as a version of himself in the critically acclaimed "The Larry Sanders Show" in the mid-1990s.
One of Stewart's most memorable moments came outside of the context of "The Daily Show," when he appeared on "Crossfire" in 2004 and sparred with host Tucker Carlson on cable news' allegedly malign impact on American political discourse.
Stewart also emerged as a forceful proponent for Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian satirist curtailed by Egypt's post-Arab Spring rulers.
He used "The Daily Show" to advocate a bill that would pay medical benefits for first responders from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that nearly fell victim to Congressional gridlock. Stewart has deep cultural reach and distinct interviewing and directing talents.
He is a nearly singular media and cultural figure, and it will be interesting to see what he does once he has left a show that he has anchored since the Clinton administration was in power.
In November, Stewart speculated to NPR's Terry Gross about what it would be like to leave "The Daily Show," and he implied that the idea held some appeal for him: "I do feel like I don't know that there will ever be anything that I will ever be as well suited for as this show," Stewart said. "That being said, I think there are moments when you realize that that's not enough anymore, or that maybe it's time for some discomfort."
Watch Stewart make the announcement below:
SEE ALSO: Here's the crazy amount Jon Stewart gets paid for "The Daily Show"
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