Michael Kosta
Stand-up comedian from United States 🇺🇸
About Michael Kosta
Michael Kosta, born September 27, 1979, is an American stand-up comedian and former professional tennis player. He is an Emmy award-winning rotating host and senior correspondent of The Daily Show, where he was hired as a correspondent in 2017 and was the most-watched guest host in 2023. He has also hosted The Comment Section for the E! Network with producer Joel McHale and co-hosted Fox Sports 1's Crowd Goes Wild. His one-hour stand-up special for Comedy Central debuted in 2020.
Kosta was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went to Huron High School before attending the University of Illinois, where he played on four Big Ten Championship tennis teams. After earning a bachelor's degree in Speech Communications in 2002, he played tennis on the ITF and ATP tour for two years and was once ranked #864 in the world before being hired as the Assistant Men's Tennis Coach for the University of Michigan. While coaching, he began to explore stand-up comedy, and in 2005 he began a full-time job as a stand-up comic based in Los Angeles.
Kosta has had major appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, Chelsea Lately, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, as well as a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special in January 2011. In 2015, he released his first comedy album, Comedy For Attractive People, on Comedy Dynamics Records, and in 2022 he released his one-hour Comedy Central special Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. He has been a rotating co-host of The Daily Show since 2024. He hosts his own podcast, Tennis Anyone, and in 2025 released a memoir, Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy, published by Harper Influence. He is married with two children.
Videos (497)
Videos 1 to 24 of 497.
1:33Mark Carney great stick handling | Michael Kosta
968.6K views
1:02More and more Americans are organizing and expressing their discontent. All sides welcome.
730.9K views
0:13New hack unlocked
82.1K views
38:18Tennis Anyone w/ Michael Kosta | Stephen Colbert & My Love of Late Night
63.6K views
1:29This is your life. Thank you Molly Shannon for being so open & vulnerable. You're a true SuperStar!
43.5K views
6:01Michael Kosta stand up comedy
40.4K views
0:13Say something in Mandarin
34.1K views
0:52When I Was On Name That Tune
30K views
0:5920/40 Anyone else feel the same way? What are your examples?
28.5K views
0:59They are radicalizing me.
28.4K views
39:25New Material: Making Fun of ICE, Cold Weather & An Almost Dry January | Michael Kosta | FULL SET
26.9K views
42:02New Material: Iran War Makes No Sense, Ranting Against Pickleball, & Jokes About March | FULL SET
22.6K views
0:53The Level of Trump's Presidential Communication
19.4K views
0:16USA quick thoughts
18.8K views
0:29New York City baby.
17.9K views
3:18Michael Kosta annoyed at texters
15.9K views
0:55The Truth About ICE Training | Michael Kosta
15.8K views
0:48Some Kosta thoughts on our current southern border situation…
14.2K views
0:52Anyone else have this same wife?
13.8K views
0:19Ridiculous I wasn’t invited to this year
13.8K views
1:10My thoughts this AM
13.1K views
0:47Some of these attention-getting posers say they are alpha but are far from it
13K views
35:26Tennis Anyone w/ Michael Kosta | Laughing at Comedians in Saudi Arabia
13K views
0:28Comedians Doing the Riyadh Comedy Festival
12.7K viewsGuest appearances (109)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Michael Kosta.
Guest appearances 1 to 24 of 109.
42:18Jon Stewart on Trump's "Enemy Within" Threat & Michael Kosta on Election Overload | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
4.5M views
44:38Jon Stewart on Trump’s Zelenskyy Smackdown & Michael Kosta on Trade War Chaos | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
3.3M views
45:51Jon Stewart & Michael Kosta on Elon's White House Crash and Feud with Trump | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
2.8M views
34:51Jon Stewart on Trump's Alternate Reality & Michael Kosta on Mamdani's "Penghazi" | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
2.5M views
37:46The Best of Michael Kosta in the Field | The Daily Social Distancing Show
Jon Stewart
2.2M views
2:27Michael Kosta on how Trump and four former U.S. presidents reacted to the shooting of Charlie Kirk
Jon Stewart
1.8M views
46:38Jon Stewart on Trump's Negotiating Game & Michael Kosta on the White House UFC Ring | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.7M views
37:07Jon Stewart on Assad Regime's End in Syria & Michael Kosta on Luigi Mangione | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.4M views
12:28Michael Kosta on UHC CEO Shooting Suspect Luigi Mangione | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.3M views
2:11MAGA's anti-Muslim hysteria is so bad, it has Michael Kosta missing George W. Bush
Jon Stewart
1.2M views
24:50Michael Kosta Conquered Trump’s Feuds, Pardons & "Groceries" Obsession in 2025 | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.2M views
3:49Michael Kosta and Nate Burleson vs. Intel's AI-Powered Robot Quarterback | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.1M views
24:00Michael Kosta Covers RFK Jr.'s Bizarre Bear Story & GOP Reaction to Tim Walz | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
1.1M views
1:37Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, and Troy Iwata on Steve Carell’s bus interview with John McCain
Jon Stewart
942.6K views
6:44Is Duluth, MN a Climate Change Safe Haven? Michael Kosta Investigates | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
929.2K views
6:31How Do RFK Jr. Supporters Feel About His VP Pick? Michael Kosta Investigates | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
906.3K views
25:09Jon Stewart's Israel-Gaza Update & Michael Kosta on Trump's Latest Abortion Stance | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
885.8K views
10:30Leslie Jones, Michael Kosta, & Desi Lydic Help You Survive Thanksgiving | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
841.4K views
6:41Luke Iseman's "Planet-Cooling" Balloons Have Michael Kosta Breaking Bad | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
833.1K views
20:25The Best of Michael Kosta - Saving the Lakes, A Statue Tour & Looking Like Don Jr. | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
831.3K views
1:36Michael Kosta shows solidarity with a billionaire who's fighting the scourge of anti-rich hate
Jon Stewart
770.9K views
1:39Michael Kosta addresses America's political violence problem following Charlie Kirk's assassination
Jon Stewart
769K views
9:54Michael Kosta's Israel-Palestine "Solution" & Taylor Swift's Fans Flock to Theaters | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
674.9K views
6:19Michael Kosta Meets the No. 1 Book Banner in Florida | The Daily Show
Jon Stewart
645.6K viewsChannels on this page: Jon Stewart
Frequently asked questions
What is Michael Kosta best known for?
He is an Emmy award-winning rotating host and senior correspondent of The Daily Show, where he was hired as a correspondent in 2017.
Was Michael Kosta a professional athlete?
Yes, he is a former professional tennis player who played on the ITF and ATP tour and was once ranked #864 in the world.
Where did Michael Kosta play college tennis?
He attended the University of Illinois, where he played on four Big Ten Championship tennis teams, and earned a bachelor's degree in Speech Communications in 2002.
What memoir did Michael Kosta write?
In 2025, he released a memoir titled Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy, published by Harper Influence.
What are Michael Kosta's Comedy Central specials?
He had a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special in January 2011 and released his one-hour special Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. in 2022.
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