Jon Stewart Confirms That NBC Approached Him To Host 'Meet The Press'

It's Official: Jon Stewart Was Approached By NBC To Host 'Meet The Press'
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: Director/Producer/Actor Jon Stewart at the 'Rosewater' premiere party hosted by GREY GOOSE vodka and Soho House Toronto during TIFF on September 8, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for GREY GOOSE Vodka)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 08: Director/Producer/Actor Jon Stewart at the 'Rosewater' premiere party hosted by GREY GOOSE vodka and Soho House Toronto during TIFF on September 8, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for GREY GOOSE Vodka)

The rumors were true.

Jon Stewart has confirmed that he was in fact considered by NBC to take over as host of the Sunday show, "Meet the Press." The "Daily Show" host said in an interview with Rolling Stone that while the talk did happen, he wasn't entirely convinced that the network would follow through.

"I felt like that was one of those situations, where someone says, 'We really like what you do. Why don't you come over here and do something different, maybe something you don't do as well, for us?'" Stewart said. "I can understand notionally where it comes from. News and entertainment have melded in a way. But they would be overcompensating on the entertainment side."

Of course, NBC News wound up going with Chuck Todd to replace former host David Gregory after months of dismal ratings that saw the show fall from first to third place. Still, chief White House correspondent and Comedy Central host are two very different sides of the media spectrum to be courted for the same job, but Stewart has an idea as to why that might have been.

"My guess is they were casting as wide and as weird a net as they could," he said. "I'm sure part of them was thinking, 'Why don't we just make it a variety show?'"

Read the full interview with Rolling Stone here.

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