Trevor Noah Shares He’s Leaving ‘The Daily Show’ After Seven Years
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After seven years, Trevor Noah announced on Thursday’s episode that he is leaving The Daily Show.
Noah said:
“It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected. I found myself thinking throughout the time of everything we’ve gone through. The Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey, more pandemic and I realize that after the seven years, my time is up. I spent two years in my apartment, not on the road, and when I got back out there, I realized there’s another part of my life out there that I want to carry on exploring. I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I’ve loved hosting this show, it’s been one of my greatest challenges and one of my greatest joys,” Noah said. “I’ve loved trying to find a way to make people laugh, even when the stories are particularly s***y, even on the worst days. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together. Don’t worry, i’m not disappearing. If I owe you money, I’ll still pay you. I want to say thank you to you, to you who watched this. I never dreamed that I would be here. I sort of feel like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I came here for a tour of what the previous show was and then the next thing you know I was handed the keys.”
Noah, a standup comedian from South Africa, was a relative newcomer to American audiences when he was named as host of The Daily Show after Jon Stewart signed off in 2015.
Comedy Central has several potential replacements for Noah on its roster. The host works with a large circle of faux “correspondents” that includes mainstays such as Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta and Dulcé Sloan. Jordan Klepper, who once hosted “The Opposition,” a show that followed “Daily,” is a regular contributor, and has gained traction online for segments in which he visits conservatives at rallies and asks them questions about the state of the nation. Comedy Central has also been working with Charlamagne Tha God on a weekly showcase that mixes comedy, commentary and news.
Noah has worked intensely to make the program his own, holding court with various media influencers after hours, and devising new “Daily” formats. His banter with the audience during commercial breaks became fodder for social-media clips. During the coronavirus pandemic, Noah hosted the show from his apartment, tilting toward more serious topics and interviews in the belief his audience — younger than those who watch his competitors on broadcast networks — were interested in more serious discussion. The show went on hiatus in the summer of 2021 in order to return to a more normal mode of production.
Noah’s exit means that late-night will be less diverse, particularly after the exits of Bee and Singh and the end of the “Desus & Mero” program on Showtime. That dynamic could play a role in how executives at Comedy Central choose to proceed.
Watch Noah’s message below.
