Jon Stewart Announces His Departure From ‘The Daily Show’ With a Heartfelt Message to Viewers

“I don’t have any specific plans. Got a lot of ideas. I’ve got a lot of things in my head. I’m going to have dinner — on a school night — with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people.”

During last night’s episode, Jon Stewart announced that he will be leaving The Daily Show after a truly remarkable 17-year run. Between the time that the episode taped and the time that it aired, members of the audience had already begun to spread the news around social media, and Comedy Central released an official statement.

By the time the episode aired, many viewers already knew the announcement was coming, but it’s likely still going to be an emotional few minutes of viewing for fans of the show, and of Stewart.

Stewart says he doesn’t have any specific plans, but said, “This show doesn’t deserve even a slightly restless host,” implying he has ambitions beyond The Daily Show. Stewart also recently took a year off from the show to direct his first feature film Rosewater, about an Iranian man who was imprisoned and tortured after appearing on The Daily Show.