Jon Stewart Announces He's Leaving 'The Daily Show'

First "The Colbert Report" and now this?!

Jon Stewart, the longtime host of Comedy Central's nightly comedy news show "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," will be leaving the show later this year. Stewart made the announcement to his audience during a taping of the show on Tuesday.

Stewart took over as host of the show for Craig Kilborn back in 1999, when "The Daily Show" was a lesser-known program for a fairly niche audience. Under Stewart's leadership, however, the show exploded in popularity and has since won multiple Emmys and other awards.

Additionally, "The Daily Show" helped launch the careers of comedians like Steve Carell, Rob Riggle, Rob Corddry, Jon Oliver, Wyatt Cenac, Larry Wilmore and Stephen Colbert, the latter two of which got their own spin-off shows on Comedy Central. Jon Oliver currently hosts a weekly wrap-up news show, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," on HBO.

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Comedy Central chief Michele Ganeless released the following statement on Stewart's departure:

"For the better part of the last two decades, I have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none. Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera. Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come. Jon will remain at the helm of The Daily Show until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family."

The date of Stewart's final show has not been set, but will be "later this year." The show will likely begin seeking a replacement host with the hope of rebooting in either the Fall 2015 or Winter 2016 season.