Entertainment

Jon Stewart Emotionally Announces He's Leaving 'The Daily Show' (Video)

by Connor Toole

Jon Stewart took over "The Daily Show" from Craig Kilborn in 1999, the same year he was cast as a minor character in "Big Daddy" in the midst of a comedy career that was struggling to find its identity.

Sixteen years later, it's pretty safe to say Stewart settled into his role as a fake anchorman quite nicely, as "The Daily Show" quickly became one of the most iconic TV programs of the past few decades for revolutionizing the way people digested the news.

Yesterday, news broke that Stewart was planning to leave his job as America's most self-aware news source within the year -- news he delivered in a heartfelt segment at the end of last night's episode.

There's no exact date for his departure, and while people will fiercely debate the identity of his most worthy successor, whoever it is will have quite the seat to fill.