By Alicia Fine

Last week Jon Stewart announced he was leaving The Daily Show after 16 years as its host, and the Internet collectively freaked out. The wounds left by the recent end of The Colbert Report barely even had time to heal before Stewart sprung his news on the unsuspecting studio audience, and then the world.

It’s no surprise that so many people were upset by the announcement. Though Jon Stewart wasn’t The Daily Show’s first host, he took over for Craig Kilborn just two years into the show’s run and transformed it into the long-running comedic institution it has since become. After all, Millennials and Baby Boomers alike treat The Daily Show as an equally legitimate, or perhaps an even more legitimate news source than CNN or CNBC.

So now one major question remains: Who should replace Jon Stewart as the host of The Daily Show?

The fan-favorite potential new host, current Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams, already took herself out of the running, deeming herself “underqualified” for the gig. Other correspondents would also make good hosts, and continue the tradition of Daily Show contributors graduating to their own show, much like Stephen Colbert, Larry Willmore, and John Oliver have done.

How amazing would it be to see longtime correspondent Samantha Bee take over the hosting seat? Asif Mandvi and Al Madrigal are also possible options who have proven their talents on The Daily Show over the years. All three options would add some diversity to the late night television landscape, since there is a serious lack of women and people of color.

There are also plenty of less obvious choices who would make equally good future hosts of The Daily Show. W. Kamau Bell already proved himself as a worthy host on the unappreciated Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. There’s also stand-up comedian Cameron Esposito, who offers a diversity double whammy as a gay woman, not to mention that she’s totally hilarious and hosts a weekly stand-up show at the UCB Franklin Theater in Los Angeles.

With Parks and Recreation ending Amy Poehler has some free time on her hands now, and her Saturday Night Live Weekend Update experience would surely come in handy. Or, if Comedy Central feels like adding yet another straight white male to the late night world, they could at least pick Paul F. Tompkins, one of the funniest underrated comics out there.

With no specific departure date confirmed as of now, the race to replace Jon Stewart hasn’t quite heated up yet, but when his inevitable exodus happens it’s nice to know that there are so many capable potential successors.

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