Scratch John Oliver’s name off the list of potential replacements for Jon Stewart after he steps down from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” later this year.
HBO has snagged Oliver for two more seasons, commissioning 35 new episodes each in 2016 and 2017, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
The network’s president of programming, Michael Lombardo, told the AP that Oliver had the “unique ability to deliver socially significant commentary week after week” and was in a “class by himself.”
Fans hoping for either a woman or a person of color to take over the host’s chair were also let down when “The Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams withdrew her name from the running on Twitter.
“I’m not hosting,” she wrote to her followers. “Thank you but I am extremely under-qualified for the job!”
“At this age (25) if something happens politically that I don’t agree with, I need to go to my room & like not come out for, like, 7 days,” she added.
Fact 1: I’m not hosting. Thank you but I am extremely under-qualified for the job!
— Jessica R. Williams (@msjwilly) February 16, 2015
At this age (25) if something happens politically that I don’t agree with, I need to go to my room & like not come out for, like, 7 days.
— Jessica R. Williams (@msjwilly) February 16, 2015
That being said I am super not right for it, but there are quite a few people who are! Can’t wait to stick around & see what happens.
— Jessica R. Williams (@msjwilly) February 16, 2015
thanks to everyone tweetin at me like ?. Haha but I’m not like, dead.This is the beginning of my career. I’m gonna troll that ass for yrs.
— Jessica R. Williams (@msjwilly) February 16, 2015
No need to rob Peter to pay for Paul here … how’s Samantha Bee trending?