Jon Stewart reveals his reasons for leaving ‘The Daily Show’

Jon Stewart is retiring from “The Daily Show” at age 52, much too young for him to get away with saying he’s retiring, the way David Letterman has with “Late Show.” So there must be a reason, right?

As it turns out, Stewart has finally revealed, it was general dissatisfaction with the job, as well as the prospect of covering an uninspiring 2016 presidential race that led him to step down from the job he’s held since 1999.

In an interview with the Guardian published on Saturday, Stewart said, “Honestly, [the decision to quit] was a combination of the limitations of my brain and a format that is geared toward following an increasingly redundant process, which is our political process. I was just thinking, ‘Are there other ways to skin this cat?’ And, beyond that, it would be nice to be home when my little elves get home from school, occasionally.”

Stewart elaborated on the upcoming 2016 election, saying, “I’d covered an election four times, and it didn’t appear that there was going to be anything wildly different about this one.”

So rather than face that prospect, he’s stepping aside to let South African comic Trevor Noah take over the reins. However, no specific date for Stewart’s departure has been set, other than later in 2015.

Noah has been a part of the show since 2014, when he joined as a recurring contributor.

Several jokes he made on Twitter have landed him some pre-hosting controversy, with many accusing him of being sexist and racist. However, Stewart defended the new host on “The Daily Show,” saying, “I do hope you give him an opportunity to earn that trust and respect because my experience with him is that he is an incredibly thoughtful and considerate and funny and smart individual, and man, I think, you give him that time, and it’s going to be well worth it.”

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