Jon Stewart says he’s leaving ‘Daily Show’

Host reveals move to audience at Tuesday taping.

LOS ANGELES — Jon Stewart, who turned his biting and free-wheeling humor into an unlikely source of news and analysis for viewers of “The Daily Show,” will leave as host this year, Comedy Central said Tuesday.

His departure was announced by Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless after Stewart, host of the show since 1999, broke the news to the audience at Tuesday’s taping in New York.

“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,” Ganeless said in a statement.

She called Stewart, 52, a “comic genius.” He will remain as host until later this year, she said, but she did not specify his exit date or what led to his decision.

Reaction from his admirers was swift. “Just had the honor of being the great Jon Stewart’s guest (on ‘The Daily Show’), where he announced he’s leaving. Emotional night,” David Axelrod, former adviser to President Barack Obama, tweeted.

Stewart’s departure represents a second big blow for Comedy Central: Another star, Stephen Colbert, left “The Colbert Report” last year to take over from CBS late-night host David Letterman when he retires in May.

Larry Wilmore and the new “The Nightly Show” replaced “The Colbert Report.”

The Stewart and Colbert shows created templates for a comedic form that offered laughs along with political and social satire. Authors and politicians were as common as Hollywood celebrities on the self-described “fake news” programs.

Stewart took a monthslong hiatus in 2013 to direct “Rosewater,” a well-reviewed film about an Iranian-born journalist who was imprisoned for 118 days in Tehran and accused of being a spy. The Comedy Central statement did not indicate what his plans were after leaving.

Stewart was said to have effectively killing one cable program — CNN’s “Crossfire” — when his criticism of its squabbling hit a nerve. CNN soon canceled it.