Stewart told staff that executives from Apple – which has vast commercial interests in China and AI – had expressed concern over proposed new content for “The Problem with Jon Stewart”, the New York Times said.

The upcoming presidential election also carried with it “potential for further creative disagreements”, according to the Times. Taping on Season 3 had been set to begin in just a few weeks.

Apple did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

Stewart became a household name in the US as the host of Comedy Central’s long-running “The Daily Show”, before stepping down to pursue other interests in 2015.

Streaming platform Apple TV+ launched “The Problem with Jon Stewart” as a flagship current affairs programme in 2021, which was also seen as Stewart’s big comeback following “The Daily Show”.

“The Problem” takes a satirical look at a different topical issue each week. Episodes in the most recent season included “Globalization: Made In America” and “Searching for Allies”.

Apple chief Tim Cook made a surprise visit to China this month, and he has previously spoken of his company’s “symbiotic” relationship with the nation.

In an earnings call in August, Cook said Apple views AI and machine learning as “core fundamental technologies that are integral to virtually every product that we build”.