Updated at 12:35pm with comment from Johnson.
All eyes may be on Jon Stewart tonight, but come Tuesday through Thursday, the spotlight will shift to Josh Johnson, who’s set to make his debut behind The Daily Show desk this week.
Johnson, a writer on the Comedy Central series since 2017, joined the on-air team as a correspondent last year. With sold-out tour dates across the country and a thriving digital fanbase (he boasts over 4 million followers), Johnson’s turn behind the Daily Show desk is both well-earned, and—as LateNighter’s Bill Carter wrote in April—overdue.
His weekly Tuesday night YouTube sets, where he builds winding stories out of headlines, regularly rack up millions of views. They’re storytelling masterclasses—and they hit the same satirical nerve The Daily Show is known for.
Since Stewart’s return as Monday night anchor in 2024, The Daily Show has leaned on a core group of correspondents—Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, and Desi Lydic—to helm the desk mid-week. Johnson becomes the latest correspondent to get the nod.
In an Instagram post this morning, Johnson wrote, “It’s my first time hosting anything on TV. Ever. I’ve spent years writing behind the scenes, learning from truly great and talented people. Now, for three nights, I get to sit at the desk and do it myself.”
His guest lineup this week hints at a wide-ranging debut. On Tuesday, Johnson welcomes Rob Franklin, author of the buzzed-about novel Great Black Hope. Wednesday’s episode features rising music artist Samara Cyn, whose new EP backroads drops this week. Thursday wraps with a visit from Christopher McDonald, promoting his return as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore 2.
Meanwhile, Jon Stewart kicks off the week tonight with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Executive Chairman of both ImmunityBio and the Los Angeles Times.
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