'That is a surprise': John Oliver compares Jon Stewart to Michael Jordan upon part-time Daily Show return, while saying the show should still appoint Roy Wood Jr or Amber Ruffin as permanent host while Trevor Noah cheers comeback

Stewart announced he would return to the show February 12 to host on Mondays Oliver worked at the Comedy Central program from 2006 to 2013 Trevor Noah also cheered Stewart's return in a post on social media 

Former Daily Show correspondent John Oliver was stunned when he heard the news of Jon Stewart’s return to the late night program and compared it to Michael Jordan’s comeback.

Oliver worked at the Comedy Central program from 2006 to 2013, including an acclaimed stint guest hosting that got him the offer to host HBO’s Last Week Tonight.

In an interview with the Today Show Wednesday, Oliver had the news broken to him before the chat began.

‘I mean, that’s, that is a surprise,’ Oliver said. ‘That’s a show that needs a host. He certainly is a very, very good one. So yeah, it’ll be exciting to see what he does.’

The Daily Show has notoriously been without a host since Trevor Noah departed at the end of 2022, with a series of guest hosts filling the slot before and after the WGA strike.

Former Daily Show correspondent John Oliver was stunned when he heard the news of Jon Stewart’s return to the late night program and compared it to Michael Jordan ‘s comeback

Comedy Central said Stewart will host every Monday night starting February 12, with a rotating line-up of show regulars covering the rest of the week, and serve as an executive producer.

Oliver suggested former correspondent Roy Wood Jr and ex-NBC host Amber Ruffin as potential permanent replacements, but admitted he was excited to see what Stewart will do ahead of the 2024 battle for the White House.

‘I would have hired Roy Wood, or Amber Ruffin is very good, but it’s going to be very exciting to see Jon again in an election year,’ Oliver added.

Longtime Daily Show correspondent Wood Jr. departed the show in October because he wasn’t considered for the full-time hosting job.

He then compared it to Michael Jordan retiring and then returning to the NBA by saying: ‘Jordan’s back.’

Oliver was thought by many to be a potential successor to Stewart before he signed to host his HBO show, which has ran since 2014.

Noah, for his part, posted his excitement on X: ‘Yessssssss he’s back.’

The South African comedian was scheduled to be a guest on fellow Daily Show alum Stephen Colbert’s CBS show Monday night.

Oliver worked at the Comedy Central program from 2006 to 2013, including an acclaimed stint guest hosting that got him the offer to host HBO’s Last Week Tonight

Former host Trevor Noah, for his part, posted his excitement on X: ‘Yessssssss he’s back’

Colbert, who frequently made use of Stewart’s talents as a guest and commentator after he’d left Comedy Central, has yet to comment.

Stewart made a joke referencing college football’s transfer portal in announcing his return to the show on X.

‘Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!’

Stewart made the masses laugh for 16 years as host of The Daily Show with his impersonations of George W. Bush and comedic exchanges with correspondents Colbert, Oliver and Samantha Bee.

His satiric take on the day’s events often provided more insight into reality than some mainstream news stations. He left the show in 2015, handing it over to Noah. The Daily Show has not had a permanent host since Noah left last year.

‘Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central´s The Daily Show to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,’ said president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios Chris McCarthy.

Jon Stewart is returning to The Daily Show as a weekly host and executive producer through the presidential election cycle

The comedian made the masses laugh for 16 years as host of The Daily Show with his impersonations of George W. Bush and comedic exchanges with correspondents Stephen Colbert , John Oliver and Samantha Bee

Stewart hosted The Daily Show for 16 years then handed it over to Trevor Noah in 2015

The Daily Show has not had a permanent host since Trevor Noah left last year

‘In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.’

Under Stewart’s leadership, The Daily Show won more than 20 Primetime Emmy awards.

Stewart posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, ‘Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!’

Noah left The Daily Show after seven years at the helm during which the late-night infotainment show’s viewership declined dramatically.

Since his departure comedians such as Kal Penn, Charlamagne Tha God, Leslie Jones, Sarah Silverman and Marlon Wayans have rotated hosting the show.

During the Emmy awards last week Wood was caught mouthing a subtle message as Noah accepted an award.

Lip-readers realized that as Wood stood next to South Africa-born Noah accepting the Emmy, he was mouthing the phrase: ‘Please hire a host.’

Wood confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter: ‘I was saying, ‘Please hire a host.’ I probably shouldn’t have done it, but this has been going on too long. Get it together!…But I’m so happy that [Noah] won.’

He first took over the show in 1999 and under his leadership The Daily Show won more than 20 Primetime Emmy awards

Apple has cancelled Stewart ‘s follow-up to The Daily Show, The Problem with Jon Stewart

Stewart apologized for openly mocked transgender Caitlyn Jenner after she publicly transitioned into her new self when he hosted the show

Hasan Minhaj was reportedly a top contender to replace Noah, but was taken out of the running when the New Yorker published an interview where he admitted to fabricating many of his stories.

Minhaj hit back and said the claims were ‘needlessly misleading’ and promised he is ‘not a psycho.’

In October, Apple cancelled Stewart’s follow-up to The Daily Show, The Problem with Jon Stewart.

The weekly series touted itself on taking a deep dive into important issues through interviews and discussion.

However, the show was blasted as dull and stuck in the past by critics who said it didn’t make them laugh once, and that it harks back too much to his old Daily Show.

The show only briefly made headlines for an episode where Stewart issued a formal apology for old jokes of his that mocked transgender people.