'The Daily Show' Was Almost Hosted by 'Dirty Jobs' Star Mike Rowe

Mike Rowe revealed on Thursday the one dirty job he couldn’t get: host of “The Daily Show.”

Responding to a fan on Facebook asking him how he deals with rejection, the “Dirty Jobs” host posted a picture of himself crying and holding a rejection letter from Comedy Central that explained he would not be the host of the show.

“When ‘The Daily Show’ was first conceived, Comedy Central spent a year looking for the right host,” Rowe explained. “The audition process was extensive, and when the dust settled, it came down to two — Craig Kilborn and me. The job went to Craig, and I was crushed.”

Also read: Jon Stewart Warns Against 'Bullsh-t,' GOP Candidates Start Shoveling: Wrap Trends (Video)

And the TV personality even took another stab at the opportunity when Kilborn left the show in 1998. “This time, I wasn’t going to let it get away. I did the very best job I could, and all modesty aside, I killed it,” he wrote.

“Afterwards, I was told by the producers and writers that I was about to become the new host of ‘The Daily Show,’ unless — by some miracle — Comedy Central were to suddenly cough up the kind of money that could entice a proven entity like Dennis Miller or Jon Stewart,” he continued.

Also read: Jon Stewart Bids Epic Farewell to 'Daily Show': 'The Best Defense Against Bullsh-t Is Vigilance'

It’s impossible to know how things would have been different had they gone with him over Kilborn or Stewart, but Rowe isn’t sweating it.

“It was a critical step in a long series of failures that got me to the sewer, where my redemption awaited, and a new level of job satisfaction that I frankly, never imagined,” Rowe wrote.

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JASON JONES
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JEFFREY ROSS
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AZIZ ANSARI
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JOHN MULANEY
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LEWIS BLACK
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JOEL MCHALE
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CRAIG KILBORN
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PAUL F. TOMPKINS
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DANIEL TOSH
Between "Tosh.0" and "Brickleberry," it's clear Comedy Central and Daniel Tosh have a good working relationship. But is the controversial comedian up to tackling daily news?
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CHELSEA HANDLER
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CRAIG FERGUSON
Craig Ferguson ended his nine-year run behind the desk at CBS's "Late Late Show" in December, so there's a good chance he's available. But is he willing to step back into the treacherous waters of late night so soon?
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BRIAN WILLIAMS
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