COMEDIAN Hasan Minhaj is being considered one of the top contenders for the vacant host position at Comedy Central’s Daily Show, as indicated by three sources familiar with the situation. This suggests that the extensive selection process, involving numerous prominent comedians, is now approaching its conclusion.

While Minhaj is seen as a strong contender for the host position, it is important to note that there is no guarantee he will secure the role, as these sources caution. As of now, a final agreement has not been reached.

However, Minhaj’s name has emerged as a probable successor to Trevor Noah, who unexpectedly departed from the position last year.

Minhaj, who served as one of the Daily’s fake “correspondents” between 2014 and 2018 and went on to host a weekly programme for Netflix called Patriot Act, stated recently that he would be interested in the position.

“I’m definitely open to the conversation. It’s also a family conversation now. It’s a very different conversation than when I first got hired at the show when I was 29. My life is in a very different place. And so that’s a bigger life/family conversation. It changes a lot of things,” he told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast in May.

“It’s an all-encompassing, all-consuming thing. And other people have to live with the consequences of what I say. And I just want to make sure everybody, if that were to ever come to fruition, says, ‘Hey, are we all on board with this?’”

According to Variety, the spokesperson for the Daily Show declined to provide any comments on the matter, and WME, the agency representing Minhaj, also chose not to make any executives available for discussion.

Also, a publicist for Minhaj did not respond promptly to an email and a voice message requesting further details.

Minhaj and several other celebrities are vying for the coveted position after Noah’s departure. During the interim, Comedy Central featured guest hosts like Minhaj, Sarah Silverman, Leslie Jones, Kal Penn, and Al Franken.

Some of the show’s current correspondents, such as Roy Wood and Desi Lydic, have also taken turns as hosts.

While other late-night shows continue with repeats during the writers’ strike, Comedy Central has opted not to air new episodes of The Daily Show. Instead, they are airing repeats of shows like South Park and The Office.