We weren’t the only ones surprised to hear of Jon Stewart‘s return to The Daily Show. In fact, the comedian’s friend and colleague John Oliver was equally as flabbergasted by the news when he found out in the middle of his interview with Today.

“I mean, that’s, that is a surprise,” Oliver said upon hearing the news. “That’s a show that needs a host. He certainly is a very, very good one. So yeah, it’ll be exciting to see what he does.”

The Last Week Tonight host later added, “It’s going to be exciting to see Jon — in an election year as well. That is watchable.”

Comedy Central announced on Wednesday (Jan. 24) that Stewart, who hosted the late-night show from 1999 to 2015, will step back into his hosting shoes on Monday nights starting on Feb. 12 and lasting through the 2024 election cycle.

While his stay could reportedly extend into next year, Oliver believes that “after 2025, they should appoint a permanent host.” As for who he’d like to see take over the gig, the British comedian suggested former The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. or Amber Ruffin, who hosts the late-night comedy show The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock.

But, for now, Oliver joked, “Jordan’s back,” referring to Michael Jordan‘s return to the Chicago Bulls after he announced his retirement.

The news of Stewart’s comeback comes more than one year after his successor, Trevor Noah, left The Daily Show. Since then, there has been a rotating door of celebrity guest hosts — and while people like Leslie Jones and Wood Jr. have expressed interest in joining full-time, neither has been officially hired for the job.

“Jon Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,” Chris McCarthy, President/CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement to Variety.

He continued, “In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”

Stewart, whose Apple TV+ comedy show The Problem with Jon Stewart was abruptly canceled last year, will also serve as an executive producer on The Daily Show.

The Daily Show airs Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.