By John Ikani
Trevor Noah is leaving The Daily Show after hosting it for seven years, indicating he wants to dedicate more time to standup comedy.
The comedian, who came out of near anonymity to take over the program from Jon Stewart in 2015, plans to exit the flagship Comedy Central series after a seven-year tenure that saw him transform it for a new generation of viewers who are more at home on social media than cable outlets and broadcast networks.
Noah made the announcement at the end of his show on Thursday night, prompting shocked gasps from the studio audience.
The 38-year-old said he was “filled with gratitude for the journey” but that there was “another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring”.
“It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected,” Noah said of his experience hosting the show.
“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.”
Noah hinted that his decision to leave the show is rooted in his desire to return to more standup work.
“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,” Noah said.
He said the timing of his departure would be announced later and that he would continue as host in the meantime.
Noah went on to thank the show’s crew and loyal fans for an “amazing seven years”, adding: “It’s been wild, truly wild”.
“I remember when we first started… so many people didn’t believed in us,” he said. “[Appointing me as host] was a crazy bet to make. I still think it was a crazy choice, this random African.
“I just [find] myself filled with gratitude for the journey. It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected.
A special message from Trevor Noah pic.twitter.com/lMM8ll51fu
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 30, 2022
“I’m really grateful to a network who believed in this random comedian nobody knew on this side of the world.
“I never dreamed that I would be here. I sort of felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I came in for a tour of what the previous show was, and then the next thing I know I was handed the keys.
“All I can say is thank you very much.”
