Trevor Noah said he is exiting "The Daily Show" after seven years as host.
The South African-born comedian made the surprise announcement during Thursday's episode of the Comedy Central late-night series, saying that his "time is up."
"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 debuted as host of "The Daily Show" on Sept. 28, 2015, after the abrupt departure of Jon Stewart, who left at a crucial time for the show, which, like all politically skewing late-night shows, gets a boost in viewership during election years.
"The Daily Show" initially took a knock after having to introduce a then-unknown to audiences, but Noah soon won audiences over.
"I want to say thank you to you, to you who watched this," Noah said Thursday. "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 hinted that his decision to leave the show was related to his desire to focus on doing more standup work. He carved a career as a standup comic in South Africa before relocating to the U.S. in 2011.
"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 went on to express gratitude to viewers as well as the team at "The Daily Show" and Comedy Central, "who believed in this random comedian nobody knew on this side of the world."
"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."
Noah did not say how soon he would leave the show but said it would not happen immediately. Details were still to be ironed out.
"Don't worry, I'm not disappearing," Noah said. "If I owe you money, I'll still pay you."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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