It has been a while since Trevor Noah left The Daily Show in December, but the search for his successor is still on. After numerous guest hosts, the show was set to introduce Hasan Minhaj (The Spy Who Dumped Me, No Hard Feelings) as the new face of the show. But, according to TV Line, initially reported by Puck News, Minhaj is no longer considered for the role as he was allegedly caught embellishing some parts of his standup act in his 2022 comedy special The King’s Jester.
A New Yorker exposé revealed the news of the former Patriot Act headliner over a month ago. According to Matthew Belloni of Puck News, Minhaj’s deal to take over the show was cemented before the story broke on Sept. 15.
It was also reported that “Minhaj would have been announced as the new TDS host this summer had the strike not intervened,” said Belloni.
He added, “Instead, both sides sat on the announcement, and then… disaster.”
Minhaj held the title of correspondent on The Daily Show from 2014 to 2018 before leaving to headline the Patriot Act. After the scandal broke, it was alleged that Minhaj had requested a last meeting with Chris McCarthy, the Paramount boss, to “plead his case” before having his fate sealed on Thursday.
Minhaj then fired back and said, “Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth. My comedy Arnold Palmer is 70% emotional truth — this happened — and then 30% hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction.”
Comedy Central recently disclosed that they will name a full-time host next year. Overall, the network’s hunt has been complicated these last few weeks since Roy Wood Jr. (This Is Not Happening, Sullivan & Son) quit his job as a correspondent after eight years.
Before leaving the show, Wood became the new Daily Show host frontrunner after the Minhaj controversy. He stated he would still consider the job if offered.
“If you’re offered the chance to host The Daily Show at any point in your life… you have to stop for a second and consider that,” Wood told NPR. “The next question becomes, ‘What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?’