Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is going from the daily grind of Congress to “The Daily Show,” taking a turn as a guest host following Trevor Noah’s departure.
The ex-lawmaker will temporarily take the reins on the Comedy Central show as part of a rotation of guest hosts in 2023, the network announced Tuesday.
“Saturday Night Live” alum Franken, one of several performers being tapped to fill the guest host role, resigned from the Senate in 2017 following sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women, including a photo in which he was seen reaching toward a woman’s breasts while she was sleeping. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Noah, in a surprise move, announced in September that he was exiting the faux political news show. Friday will mark Noah’s last day after seven years as host.
“Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him, and as we look to the future, we are excited to reimagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely talented ‘Daily Show’ team,” Paramount Media Networks President Chris McCarthy said in a statement.
In addition to Franken, some of the entertainers taking on guest hosting duties starting next month include Leslie Jones, Chelsea Handler, Kal Penn, D.L. Hughley, Hasan Minhaj, Wanda Sykes, Marlon Wayans and John Leguizamo. Some of the “Daily Show” correspondents and contributors are also poised to try their hands at hosting, Comedy Central said.