Comedy Central

"The Daily Show" is going back to a familiar face to provide some stability ... though it might end up being just another temporary fix.

Jon Stewart -- who originally hosted the show from 1999 to 2015 -- is headed back to Comedy Central to host 'TDS' ... but only on Mondays. From Tuesday-Thursday, fans will see some of their fav correspondents helm the show.

The part-time hosting gig doesn't mean Jon will be kicking back during the rest of the week -- he's also returning as executive producer for every episode from now through 2025 -- so it looks like he'll be sticking around for a bit.

Not only was Stewart host and EP of the show for more than 15 years, but he mentored some of the biggest names in comedy while heading up the program.

Just check out the roster ... Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Ed Helms, Olivia Munn, Hasan Minhaj and Josh Gad just to name a few. Talk about one hell of a coaching tree!

It's probably a good time for JS to head back to his old stompin' ground ... 'cause his latest television venture, "The Problem with Jon Stewart" didn't go so well.

Apple TV+ canceled Stewart's show in October after a little over 2 years, and The New York Times reported the comedian butted heads with Apple execs on show topics and guests.

And remember, "The Daily Show" hasn't fared much better ... they've been working with a rotating cast of guest hosts for more than a year since Trevor stepped down from the role -- culminating in a funny/awkward moment at this year's Emmys where former correspondent Roy Wood Jr. basically pled with execs in the crowd to "please hire a host."

Not exactly the permanent solution Roy was looking for, but definitely a step in the right direction.

Antes de que esta calentita y acurrucada bebé neoyorquina se convirtiera en cómica, escritora y actriz, acababa de salir de la bañera lista para posar ante la cámara y se dirigía a la Universidad de Towson para licenciarse en teatro.

Mientras trabaja como comediante en los teatros, su marido se dedica a enseñarle a cocinar (como se ve en su reality show de cocina). Cuando no está en el escenario contando chistes, se dedica a cuidar a su hijo Gene.

¿Necesitas una pista más? "Snatched", con Goldie Hawn.

Before this warm and snuggled-up New York City baby turned into a comedian, writer and actress, she was just fresh out of the baby tub -- ready to pose for the camera -- and heading off to Towson University and earning her theatre degree.

While she's providing comedic relief in theaters, her hubby is busy teaching her how to cook (as seen on their cooking reality television show). And, when she's not on stage crackin' jokes, she's a doting mother to her son, Gene.

Need one more clue? "Snatched" with Goldie Hawn.

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is kissing "The Daily Show" goodbye ... leaving the program after, at one point, being considered to take the helm as host following Trevor Noah's departure.

Roy says in a statement Thursday he's "made the decision to move on" from a place where, according to him, he's "been able to pursue my comedic and political curiosities with some of the best writers, producers, crew and correspondents anyone could hope for."

He gives thanks to Trevor Noah -- the show's former host -- as well as Paramount and Comedy Central for letting him produce stand-up specials, host multiple podcasts, write a film, and shoot the pilot of a TV show.

Roy ends, saying he's excited to "see what the future holds for me in the shifting sands of late night television, scripted comedy, and whatever else the comedy gods may have in store for me."

TMZ broke the story, Roy was in the running to replace Trevor last year -- as the South African comedian stepped down from his hosting gig after 7 years.

Sources told us Comedy Central execs saw Roy as someone who could easily be the new face of "TDS" -- not only is he one of the most memorable correspondents on the show, but the series has a history of promoting from within.

We were told the higher-ups at CC were worried about Roy leaving because of how in-demand he's become over the years ... but Roy told NPR the show never officially offered him the gig.

Hasan Minhaj has been caught stretching the truth in a handful of stories he's told in his stand-up comedy -- and his response to this revelation is ... eh, it's not a big deal, guys.

The comic -- famous from 'The Daily Show' -- got called out in a New Yorker piece ... which got him to admit that he'd fabricated much of the details to several bits he'd done on stage over the years ... almost all of which played up racism and bigotry over his Muslim heritage.

One such anecdote that was embellished is about his daughter ... and how he had to rush her to the hospital after an envelope with white powder was sent to his house. As it turns out, all the daughter stuff was made up -- as he revealed when pressed by the New Yorker.

Other stories he exaggerated or flat-out lied about included one of him getting turned down for a school dance due to his race -- the woman in question says this wasn't the case in the slightest -- and another about how an FBI informant infiltrated his community mosque. In both instances, there appears to be little truth to the substance of the stories.

Minhaj said this to the New Yorker, "My comedy Arnold Palmer is seventy per cent emotional truth -- this happened -- and then thirty per cent hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction." After being pressed further by other media, he released a lengthier statement, which is interesting.

He says ... "All my standup stories are based on events that happened to me. Yes, I was rejected from going to prom because of my race. Yes, a letter with powder was sent to my apartment that almost harmed my daughter. Yes, I had an interaction with law enforcement during the war on terror. Yes, I had varicocele repair surgery, so we could get pregnant. Yes, I roasted Jared Kushner to his face. I use the tools of standup comedy -- hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines to tell entertaining stories."

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are bringing some scarily realistic-looking action to an Atlanta neighborhood, where cameras were rolling for a violent scene from "Bad Boys 4."

TMZ obtained this footage recorded from a building next to the ATL parking lot where the cast and crew worked on a shoot-out sequence for the upcoming sequel.

As you can see, it's action-packed ... with Will and Martin, AKA Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Miles Burnett, respectively -- at the center of it all.

The movie's leading men are walking through the lot when they get ambushed with a hail of gunfire .. and try to take cover while firing back at the bad guys.

While at least 2 of their fellow cops get taken out in the violence ... Martin and Will appear to survive the action.

Hey, they are the stars of the blockbuster franchise, after all!

Remember, we first saw them filming a scene last week in Atlanta, and they were fully in character ... with Will talking Martin off an 8-story ledge as he stood on the edge wearing a hospital gown.

Spoiler alert: They both survive this scene too. 😂

This 4th installment of the franchise is due in theaters next year, and the OG 'Bad Boys' came out way back in 1995.

Yeah, these guys have been at it for nearly 30 years, but they're not yet shying away from filming some of their action-packed scenes.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in action ... and we have the first images of the famous duo filming together for their upcoming 'Bad Boys' flick.

The actors were spotted Wednesday in Atlanta shooting a scene for "Bad Boys 4" ... and, the guys are fully in character -- Will as Det. Mike Lowrey and Martin as Marcus Miles Burnett.

As you can see, they were right in the thick of all the action ... it appears Will's character was talking Martin off an 8-story ledge, as he stood near the edge wearing a hospital gown.

You'll recall we saw Will on set of the new film, last month, but this is the first time we've seen him and Martin together in front of the cameras.

Will's fully back into the swing of his movie career since he infamously slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. While Smith is banned from attending the award show for 10 years ... it's not impacting his appeal as an A-list draw for Hollywood blockbusters.

This will be the 4th installment of their 'Bad Boys' franchise, which started way back in '95.

An incredible clip of Bruce Willis has come back to light after his recent dementia diagnosis ... one where he says there's nothing in this world that can keep him down.

The video comes from his 2018 Comedy Central roast ... hilariously digging at everything that's "attacked him" over the years -- from terrorists to male pattern baldness and divorce lawyers, but nothing's stopped him because he's "Bruce f***ing Willis."

He also settled the score on whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie -- thank God.

It's a fantastic speech ... one his adoring fans started sharing on social media shortly after his daughter Rumer broke the news his aphasia has progressed to frontotemporal dementia ... commonly known as FTD.

As we reported, she said the diagnosis was a painful one, but called it "a relief" for the family to finally have some sort of answer ... adding "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces."

Bruce's other daughter Scout shared her feelings Thursday night after the news broke -- saying she's "emotionally tired and a bit overwhelmed," but thankful for everyone who has shown support.

Funnyman Jeff Ross may have inadvertently contributed to a Texas inmate's death sentence ... and now, the guy's attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to overturn the sentence.

Here's the rub ... attorneys for Gabriel Hall are petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the convicted killer's capital punishment sentence, which was based in part on jokes Ross and Hall made to each other ... during the comedian's 2015 TV special.

During the trial, prosecutors used Ross' show as evidence against Hall, which eventually lead to his conviction and subsequent death sentence.

The taped special was shot at the Detention Center where Hall was awaiting trial in TX back in '15 ... it was filmed shortly before Hall's conviction for the murder of a man named Edwin Shaar.

According to the Supreme Court petition, obtained by TMZ, Ross and Hall had a wide-ranging convo that was aired AS A PART of "Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live At Brazos County Jail." The chat lasted 17 minutes with the comedian repeatedly mocking the guy's appearance and joking about his race. During the exchange, Hall made a series of jokes which prosecutors used during the penalty phase which, they said, showed Hall had "a lack of remorse for having committed capital murder." As a result, Hall's lawyers say, the jury voted to put Hall to death.

In their legal docs, Hall's lawyers say that before the Ross special was taped, they sent the Brazos County Sheriff a letter of "no contact" ... asking the deputies to prohibit anyone from talking to Hall without their permission. Clearly, that didn't happen.

Trevor Noah said his final farewell to "The Daily Show" Thursday night and on his way to the exit, he got pretty emotional talking about who he credits for his knowledge and success.

Trevor ended his 7-year run hosting the Comedy Central series by paying tribute to all the Black women in his life who took the time “to inform me, to educate me, to argue with me.” Specifically, he cited his mother, grandmother and aunt for having grand ideas that nurtured him.

As he put it, "I tell people if you want to truly learn about America, talk to Black women cause, unlike everybody else, Black women can't afford to f*** around and find out."

Trevor added, "Black women, in particular, they know what s*** is. They know what happens if things do not go the way it should."

He also gave props to several "brilliant" female Black leaders ... Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Zoé Samudzi and Tarana Burke.

In his opening monologue, Noah thanked his fans for tuning in and got emotional as he went down memory lane, listing all the celebrity guests he had on the show since 2016, including Oprah, Issa Rae, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates.

Roy Wood Jr. could soon get a serious promotion over at Comedy Central ... we're told he's in the running to take over for Trevor Noah as the next host on "The Daily Show."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that Comedy Central executives view Roy as someone who could potentially become the next face of 'TDS' ... for several reasons.

Roy joined the show in 2015, the same year Trevor took over for Jon Stewart as host, and he's since become one of the show's most recognizable faces, not to mention one of their leading correspondents.

With that in mind, we're told CC execs view Roy as a natural fit to be promoted to host ... and there's precedent, as the show promoted from within when Trevor took the reins from Jon.

Our sources say Roy's contract is also coming up for renewal, and CC execs are anxious he may leave the show because Roy is in demand on the stand-up circuit and he's also gaining popularity from recent outside projects like "Confess, Fletch."

We're told CC wants to make sure Roy stays with the network, and promoting him to host could be the best way to keep him around.

Our sources say CC execs have made it clear to Roy they want to meet with him to discuss his future as his contract renewal looms ... but he's NOT been personally told he's even a candidate to replace Trevor.

The process of picking a successor, we're told, is in the infancy stage ... and there's talk the next host could well be a woman. Again, we're told no decisions have been made.

As we reported ... Trevor announced he was leaving the show on Thursday night's episode, with a CC source telling us TN felt the daily show was too much of a grind after 7 years at the helm.

It's interesting ... Trevor mentioned Roy by name at the opening of his farewell speech, saying Roy reminded him the other day Noah's 7-year anniversary was fast approaching.

Still, we're told it's unclear if Roy knew Trevor was leaving the show before the sudden announcement.

Trevor Noah has just rocked cable news and news itself ... he's leaving his gig on Comedy Central.

Trevor made the announcement Thursday, telling the audience his 7-year tenure is coming to an end ... and he made the announcement on his 7-year anniversary.

A Comedy Central source tells TMZ ... his decision has to do with his schedule, which is hardcore crazy ... and it's just too much of a grind for him to do a daily show.

Comedy Central says, "We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. As we look ahead, we're excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of 'The Daily Show.'"

It's unclear when Trevor will leave the show ... our Comedy Central source says Trevor and the CC team are working together on "a timeline for his departure."

TN has hosted "The Daily Show" since 2015, taking over for longtime host Jon Stewart on the satirical news program.

During his time as host, Trevor won a Primetime Emmy Award ... and was nominated for a bunch of other awards.

In 2017, Trevor extended his contract with Comedy Central through 2022 ... and now he's leaving altogether.

It will be interesting to see who Comedy Central tabs as the next 'Daily Show' host ... but one thing is for sure, they will have some big shoes to fill.

Forget Lamar Jackson, the guy to really watch during the Ravens' season opener this weekend is Morgan Moses -- 'cause he just copped some custom Dave Chappelle shoes for the occasion ... and they're awesome!!

TMZ Sports has learned Baltimore's offensive tackle hit up popular artist Mike Jordan to get some dope imagery put on his spikes for the team's first game of the season against the Jets.

Jordan tells us Moses let him pick out the design ... and since Moses loves pancakes and wanted Ravens colors, he decided Chappelle's famous Prince episode was the perfect theme.

If you haven't seen it -- the 2004 sketch is hilarious ... Chappelle dressed up in a Prince suit and replayed the fictional time the legendary singer beat Charlie Murphy in a pickup basketball game -- and ate pancakes afterward.

On the right side of the cleats, Jordan put Chappelle wearing the same fit he did in the show with a plate of pancakes. On the left side, he put Chappelle in the Prince suit making a funny hand gesture.

The left cleat also features Chappelle's hilarious saying in the show, "Game, Blouses," under the Nike logo.

Dave Chappelle says he got what he wanted from Comedy Central -- millions of dollars, and rights to his show -- so now "Chappelle's Show" is back on Netflix ... with his blessing.

Dave shared a bit from his recent stand-up Thursday night in which he revealed the show's return to streaming Friday ... just 2 months after Netflix yanked it at his behest.

On stage, Chappelle summarized his power struggle with Comedy Central to get paid for any "Chappelle's Show" deals they made ... and he gave all the credit to fans for not watching the show at his request.

Dave said ... "When you stopped watching it, they called me. And, I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."

Dave went on to shower his fans with appreciation for putting him back after his 12-year hiatus from comedy, which he says "kept me free."

Long before he was known to the world as toothless, butt-whipped Stu in "The Hangover" ... Ed Helms drove this Honda motorcycle to auditions, and he's finally parting ways with it.

The actor/comedian is selling his 1976 Honda CB750F motorcycle ... and while the price is pretty modest at a mere $4,800, the bike does have tons of sentimental value. The new owner should know ... it's the bike he used to drive to his auditions when he lived in NYC.

He had it shipped to L.A. when he moved. Pays to have a bike ... to zoom in and out of traffic on the 101 and 405.

The bike has 13,591 miles and it's in cherry condition. It was stored at Atlantis Motor Garage in L.A. for some time now. We're told he decided to take it out of storage, spruce it up some and sell it.