Roy Wood Jr. of 'The Daily Show' to headline 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner

WASHINGTON — Real and fake news will collide again at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Roy Wood Jr., who plays a reporter on “The Daily Show,” the long-running Comedy Central program that blends comedy and news, will headline the event on April 29.

Tamara Keith, president of the correspondents’ association and White House correspondent for NPR, said Thursday that Wood brings “a journalistic eye to his comedy.”

“He’s hilarious — but also makes sure his audiences are thinking as they laugh,” Keith said.

The show’s former host Trevor Noah spoke at last year’s dinner, at which President Joe Biden poked fun at himself, former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the members of the press.

Last year's recap: With help from Kim Kardashian, Joe Biden made the White House Correspondents' Dinner great again

“I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have,” Biden, a Democrat, quipped then to an audience of about 2,600, among them journalists, government officials and celebrities.

Wood was also in attendance last year, showing support for his "Daily Show" boss.

"The last person that needs any tips on comedy on tough topics in front of tough people is Trevor Noah," he told USA TODAY on the red carpet. "I think he'll be great."

Other stars in attendance included then-"It couple" Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, Gayle King, Drew Barrymore, Brooke Shields, Meghan McCain, "Jeopardy!" champ Amy Schneider,  Miranda Kerr, Martha Stewart, Fran Drescher, Billy Eichner, Chris Tucker, Jason Isaacs, Sophia Bush, Fat Joe, Evan Mock, Kyla Pratt and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Though a celebrity of sorts himself, President Donald Trump didn't exactly bring the star support with him to the nation's capital. He declined to attend the event during his presidency; few celebrities attended the dinner. Hollywood's big stars tend to lean left, and if President Joe Biden's star-studded inauguration and subsequent visits from Olivia Rodrigo, Angelina Jolie, Ciara and the Jonas Brothers were any indication, the entertainment industry and the White House's relationship is back.

"It's a very strange mix of D.C. and Hollywood, a bit absurd – very American in that way," Eichner told USA TODAY of the WHCD. "But I actually do think for better or worse … people who have influence over the culture can help push the country forward. Often, we've been ahead of the curve culturally, we've been ahead of it politically in this country, and so I'm proud to be a part of that. Mingling like this can be productive if it's used in the right way."

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY; and Chris Megerian, The Associated Press

Interview: Roy Wood Jr. shares lessons learned from covering 2016 Republican National Convention

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who's hosting White House Correspondents' Dinner? Meet Roy Wood Jr.