Inside ‘The Daily Show’ Ex-Host Jon Stewart’s Marriage Which Oprah Called 'the Real Deal'

Jon Stewart and his wife, Tracey McShane, share an extraordinary marriage which has been termed the "real deal" by notable media personalities like the legendary Oprah.

American comedian and television host Jon Stewart hosted the satirical news program, "The Daily Show," between 1999 and 2015.

Unknown to many, the idol got married to his beautiful wife, Tracey McShane barely a year after debuting his run on the Comedy Central cable network show, and their marriage has survived two decades later.

"THE DAILY SHOW"

"The Daily Show" is an American satirical news show which hit the television screens in 1996 and has aired unrivaled to date.

The show was presented as a thirty-minute news program featuring top-notch comedians ever-ready to deliver sarcastic remarks about trending issues.

Over the years, the show has featured celebrities as well as political figures on its interview segment, which paints the show as a serious forum rather than a mock news channel, and have paved the way to stardom for several hosts and media personalities.

"THE DAILY SHOW" HOSTS, PAST AND PRESENT

Upon the show's debut, it was first hosted by former ESPN sports anchor, Craig Kilborn, but his tenure lasted only two years before he left to host a rival show on CBS, "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn."

Following Kilborn's exit, the iconic comedian, Jon Stewart took his place on the Comedy Central show and proved to the much-needed catalyst for the show's improvement.

"The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart recorded a dramatic increase in viewership due to the comedian's inclusion of critical political commentary and critique of traditional media.

The television personality hosted the show for the next sixteen years, from 1999 to 2015, with an exponential increase in its popularity. After him, Trevor Noah emerged as the new anchor. "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" has lasted to date.

WHY JON STEWART LEFT "THE DAILY SHOW"

The fifty-seven-year old's decision to leave the show sent viewers into a craze as they mourned his unprecedented absence. The Comedy Central news program, which the icon described as the most perfect job in the world experienced a sad loss as well when he quit. When asked about his decision, the star explained:

"It's not like I thought the show wasn't working anymore, or that I didn't know how to do it. It was more. Yup, it's working, but I'm not getting the same satisfaction."

The television star has won a total of twenty Primetime Emmy Awards for his stint on "The Daily Show," either as a producer or a writer. Since leaving the show, Stewart has taken his comedic political monologues to "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

He also adopted a Vegan diet, thanks to his wife, Tracey McShane, with whom he opened a 45-acre animal sanctuary in Colt's Neck aimed towards housing animals saved from abattoirs.

THE LOVE STORY OF JON AND TRACEY STEWART

Jon first met his wife on a blind date in a Mexican restaurant, fixed by a production assistant on his 1997 film, "Wishful Thinking," who was also a good friend of Tracey's, and the two hit it off.

After two years together, the comedian proposed to his wife-to-be using a crossword puzzle especially designed by Will Shortz, a crossword expert on the "New York Times." The puzzle included marriage clues, which the smart woman solved eventually, and deduced the significance of the brain-tasking moment.

JON AND TRACEY STEW ART'S MARRIAGE

The pair did their vow recitals in November the next year. In 2001, the loving couple jointly applied for a name change, through which they both legally adopted the last name, Stewart. Jon, originally born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, became Jon Stewart, while his wife and mother of his children became Tracey Stewart.

The legendary network show host, Oprah Winfrey, once described the relationship between the comedian and his wife as the "real deal" while depicting her experience in the couple's home as one of the "sweetest and endearing things" ever.

"When I left your home," she recounted, "I said God, that was the real deal. What I felt between you and trace and Nate, the way you looked at her and the way she looked at you and the way you both looked at your little boy… that was one of the sweetest and endearing things."

The 2005 interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" easily passed the couple as the most celebrated and enviable pair at the time.

JON AND TRACEY'S CHILDREN TOGETHER

Although their name change was initially criticized as a bid to hide the television host's Jewish identity, it has not stopped the father of two from passing down his adopted identity to his children.

The famous duo are parents to two children, a fifteen-year-old son, Nathan Thomas Stewart, born on July 3, 2004, and daughter, Maggie Rose Stewart, who was welcomed into the family in February 2006. Both kids, now teenagers, were conceived via in-vitro fertilization due to Tracey's difficulty in childbearing.

JON STEWART'S WIFE, TRACEY MCSHANE

Now a known Animal Rights Advocate, Tracey Lynn Stewart, formally McShane was born in Philadelphia on August 6, 1967. She became a veterinary technician earlier on in her career pursuit, which fueled her passion for animal protection.

In 2015, the mother of two published her book, "Do Unto Animals: A Friendly Guide To How Animals Live And How We Can Make Their Lives Better." The wife of Jon Stewart has been a long-time vegetarian, a trait which she successfully passed on to her husband. She is also a graphic designer in her capacity.

Their marriage has lasted twenty years and counting, and despite the odds, they remain "The Real Deal," the model couple Oprah once met.