Trevor Noah has revealed why he is leaving "The Daily Show" in December and shared how he plans to use his free time.
The South African-born comedian shocked fans last month when he announced his departure from the Comedy Central late-night series after seven years at the helm. Although he did not offer a concrete explanation as to why he was exiting "The Daily Show," he hinted at the time that his decision was related to his desire to focus on doing more stand-up work.
He carved out a career as a stand-up comic in South Africa before relocating to the U.S. in 2011.
On Thursday, during an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Noah further elaborated on his departure.
"I think everybody has gone through a period of looking at their lives. Every single person. We were in our apartments for two years; the world changed," Noah told Fallon, according to Newsweek. "We experienced collective grief. I think if you don't look at your life, and think about what you'd like to do differently, then you haven't experienced what we've all experienced, and so I think this is a joyous thing."
He continued: "I don't take anything for granted anymore. I don't believe that life is a given. I don't assume that things will come to me. And so, I just go, 'This is it.' This is the time, and leave when people say 'Why are you leaving?' Because imagine if it was the other way around? I go like 'I'm leaving,' and people are like, 'Yeah.'"
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.
Since then, Noah has hosted well over 1,000 shows. With all the free time he will have after his final show on Dec. 8, Noah is making big plans.
"I'm so excited to do everything. I didn't get to travel as much doing stand-up around the world. I'm excited," he said.
"I used to go to a country, and I would be there for weeks on end, I would learn the parts of the language or learn about the culture and I'd do a show based around," Noah continued.
"I'm gonna get back to doing that. Producing you know? Like just working behind the camera, working on different ideas. Going back home spending more time with family in South Africa," he added. "Everything, is what I'm going to be doing."
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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