New Daily Show Host Search Widens After Hasan Minhaj Controversy

The television staple The Daily Show might not have a new host just yet. On Wednesday, a report from Variety revealed that Comedy Central is now considering a wider array of candidates to host the newest incarnation of The Daily Show, following the exit of Trevor Noah last year. Former correspondent Hasan Minhaj was previously rumored to be a frontrunner to take over the show, with Kal Penn also reported to be in the running. This comes after earlier this month, an article from The New Yorker alleged that Minhaj had embellished many of the seemingly-autobiographical stories in his stand-up comedy routine.

According to the reporting, although Minhaj is still in the running for The Daily Show gig, executives are looking at audience research tied to recent guest hosts, and might even test a new group of guest hosts in the coming weeks. The goal is reportedly to find a new host before the start of 2024 and the year’s ensuing Presidential election.

Why Did Trevor Noah Leave The Daily Show?

Noah announced his plans to depart The Daily Show in late 2022, with his final episode airing on December 8th of that year. As he told audiences upon the announcement, he felt it was “time” to step away from the show, which had previously been hosted by Jon Stewart and Craig Kilborn.

“It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected,” Noah said at the time. “And I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through, Trump presidency, the pandemic, the journey, more pandemic. And I realized that after the seven years, my time is up, but in the most beautiful way. I’ve loved hosting this show, it’s been one of my greatest challenges, it’s been one of my greatest joy. I love trying to figure out how to make people laugh, even when the stories are particularly sh-tty on the worst days. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, but after seven years I feel like it’s time.”

Who Has Hosted The Daily Show After Trevor Noah?

Following Noah’s exit, The Daily Show has been hosted by a number of fill-in hosts. In addition to Penn and Minhaj, these names have included Sarah Silverman, Leslie Jones, and Al Franken, as well as current correspondents Roy Wood, Desi Lydic, Dulce Sloan, and Michael Kosta. The show has not aired new episodes in recent months, amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

What do you think of the latest update surrounding the new host of The Daily Show? Would you like to see him host? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!