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Trevor Noah to Exit ‘The Daily Show’ After 7 Years as Host: ‘It’s Been One of My Greatest Joys’

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Trevor Noah.David Fisher/Shutterstock

All good things come to an end. Trevor Noah will be exiting The Daily Show after hosting the late-night program for seven years. 

Related: Shocking TV Exits Through the Years

“We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years.  With no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps,” Comedy Central said in a statement to Variety on Thursday, September 29. “As we look ahead, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of The Daily Show as it continues to redefine culture through sharp and hilarious social commentary, helping audiences make sense of the world around them.”

Noah revealed his exit plans to the audience during Thursday’s taping in New York City.

“It has been seven years since we started The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. This week is our anniversary, “ he said to the crowd in a video posted via The Daily Show’s Twitter. “And one of the overriding feelings I found myself experiencing … is a feeling of gratitude. The journey we’ve been on together has been wild. … There’s so many people who make this thing come together. I want to say thank you for an amazing seven years. It’s been truly wild.”

He continued, “It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something I’ve never expected. Everything we’ve gone through — the Trump presidency, the pandemic. … I realized after seven years that my time is up. But in the most beautiful way. I’ve loved hosting this show. It’s been one of my greatest challenges. It’s been one of my greatest joys. I’ve loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh when the stories are particularly s—ty even on the worst days. … But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.”

The South Africa native concluded his speech by promising he wasn’t “disappearing,” and shared he misses “learning other languages” and “going to other countries and putting on shows” before thanking the audience for their loyalty over the years.

Related: Minka Kelly and Trevor Noah: The Way They Were

Noah began his run with The Daily Show after working as an on-air correspondent for the program in 2014.  He took over for former host Jon Stewart less than a year later. (Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Louis C.K. and Amy Poehler all allegedly said no to the offer first.)

“I will say the first two years were horrible — and it was horrible because I had taken over one of America’s most beloved institutions,” Noah revealed to Variety in July 2020. “And even though Jon Stewart had passed over the reins to me, it was essentially a year of people telling me I shouldn’t be doing the job and I was unworthy of being in that seat. And I continued to believe that. You step into this new role and you’re doing a new job and most of the first year was just trying to stay afloat.”

The comedian added that the beginning of his time on the program was mainly centered on “finding my footing” and “trying not to get canceled,” adding that it was somewhat akin to learning “how to fly a plane while the plane is flying.”

However, upon his taking the reigns, Noah grew the series until it became the No. 1 late-night show in digital and social media podcast downloads, connecting to a new generation of viewers after Donald Trump was elected President of the United States in 2016. 

“Satire works best when it has targets,” Noah told The Los Angeles Times in July 2021. “Once Trump came into office, the show immediately had its relationship with the White House. And it [was] an interesting relationship, like Harry Potter had with Voldemort.”

Related: All the Drama! The Biggest Controversies, Feuds in Talk Show History

It isn’t clear when the comedian will say his final goodbyes or if Paramount Global has begun to search for his replacement. The show does, however, work with a large group of “correspondents” on a regular basis including Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Costa and Dulcé Sloan, who could be potential successors. 

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