Jon Stewart’s return as part-time host of The Daily Show last night drew 930,000 viewers on Comedy Central, the program’s largest audience since 2018.
Simulcasts on MTV and other channels owned by Paramount Global, as well as an encore presentation on Comedy Central, lifted the total audience to 1.85 million, according to a company statement Tuesday.
Stewart will host the program on Monday nights through this year’s presidential election cycle. He’s also serving as executive producer of the show, which features a rotating cast of hosts on other nights.
Mondays are generally the most-watched evenings as viewers catch up on the weekend’s news.
The 61-year-old comedian hosted the show for 16 years before stepping down in 2015. In last night’s monologue, he skewered President Joe Biden and candidate Donald Trump over their respective ages and recent gaffes.