Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, and studied lighting design for theater at Centenary College of Louisiana, earning his degree in 2012. While in college, he performed at open mic nights after being inspired by comedian Christopher Titus.

His mother worked as a special education teacher before undergoing neurosurgery and later became a librarian at the same library Johnson visited after school. His father worked as a teacher, and Johnson has credited his grandmother's impressions with helping shape his sense of humor.

Johnson made his late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he worked as both a writer and performer. He joined The Daily Show as a staff writer in 2017 and made his on-air correspondent debut in 2024. Since July 2025, he has been part of the program's rotation of hosts alongside Jon Stewart, Desi Lydic, Michael Kosta, Ronny Chieng, and Jordan Klepper.

Johnson also toured with Trevor Noah on Noah's Loud & Clear tour beginning in 2019. In 2018, Johnson was named New York's Funniest Stand Up at the New York Comedy Festival, and he was included among Comedy Central's Comics to Watch in 2015. His comedy story "Catfishing the KKK" became one of his most widely viewed pieces, surpassing 13 million YouTube views.

Johnson's first hour-long special, # (Hashtag), was released by Comedy Central in 2021 and was named one of the best comedy specials of that year by Vulture. His second special, Up Here Killing Myself, premiered on Peacock in 2023. He released Symphony, his first HBO stand-up special, in May 2026.

Since 2023, Johnson has uploaded weekly routines from open mics, Comedy Cellar performances, and touring shows to his personal YouTube channel. His channel has surpassed half a billion views, while his social media following has exceeded 11 million. In 2025, he released 38 hours of topical stand-up material performed before live audiences, and his Flowers Tour covered 112 cities worldwide.

Johnson voiced Harry Buns on the Disney Channel animated series Kiff, which marked his first acting role in a major scripted television series. He also appeared in Genies, acting in three episodes while contributing as a writer. His voice work includes the Kiff special Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light and the film CoComelon: The Movie.

His music-related releases include the 33-track mixtape Elusive, created by combining stand-up material with music compositions in collaboration with Mike Relm. Johnson has also executive-produced his comedy specials and co-hosted The Josh Johnson Show podcast with comedian Logan Nielsen. He was announced as host of the 30th Annual Webby Awards.