New Host Beats the Legend: Josh Johnson’s Daily Show Debut Outdraws Jon Stewart in Key Demo
Comedian and long time Daily Show writer Josh Johnson scored record viewership numbers in his hosting debut on Tuesday, outstripping even Jon Stewart in the key 18-49 demographic.
The show was watched by a total of 590,000 viewers, making it the most watched episode this year not hosted by Stewart.
More impressive were Johnson’s numbers in the show’s target demo, where he topped the late night legend by bringing in 226,000 viewers aged 18-49. This surpassed even Stewart’s top charting episodes, a testament to the new star’s broad based appeal.
“It’s my first time hosting anything on TV. Ever,” wrote Johnson in a post before his debut.
The writer and stand up comic, who joined the show’s writing staff in 2017, became the most viewed face on TV Tuesday, with audience numbers beating out all other shows in the late night category.
In a post about his chart topping performance, Johnson wrote that he “didn’t know how many people were rooting for me.”
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“Hosting The Daily Show has been one of the wildest, most meaningful experiences of my career so far, and knowing that so many of you tuned in means more than I can explain,” the post continued.
Johnson’s debut garnered the highest viewership in the target demo since September 10, 2024– the night Stewart covered the debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The new host took the reins of the show Tuesday through Thursday this week, joining the rotating roster of mid-week hosts, including Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, and Desi Lydic.
