After seven years, Hell’s Kitchen’s favorite late night host and local celebrity is moving on — Trevor Noah is leaving The Daily Show.
The comedian announced his departure at the Thursday evening taping on 11th Avenue of the comedic news program, which has been operating out of the West Side NEP Studios for over 25 years.
“I realized that after seven years, my time is up — but in the most beautiful way, honestly. I’ve loved hosting the show — it’s been one of my greatest challenges, it’s been one of my greatest joys,” said Noah. “I’ve loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh even when the stories are particularly shitty on the worst days. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, but after seven years I feel like it’s time.”
In a statement, executives from Comedy Central thanked Noah for his years of service on the show and emphasized that the transition was ongoing: “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. As we look ahead, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25-plus-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,” a spokesperson told Deadline.
Noah took over hosting duties after Jon Stewart retired from the program in 2015, handing over the reins to Noah in what was largely deemed a creative risk. “So many people didn’t believe in us – I’m really grateful to a network who believed in a random comedian that nobody knew on this side of the world,” said Noah.
Noah — in addition to his many Daily Show correspondents like Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, Dulcé Sloan and Jordan Klepper (a regular contributor who previously hosted Daily Show follow up program The Opposition before its cancellation in 2018) — brought a younger and more diverse perspective to its political comedy over his seven-year tenure (Variety). He also kept the West Side at the forefront of his show, even taping out of his Hell’s Kitchen apartment during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The network has not announced a potential replacement.
The move comes at a time when the landscape of late night is changing. In addition to Noah, James Corden has announced his departure from The Late Late Show in 2023, Conan O’ Brien wrapped his stint with TBS, Daily Show alum Samantha Bee announced the end of her late night program and duo Desus and Mero announced the dissolution of their hit Showtime program to pursue separate projects.
For now, the comedian has stated that he plans to explore the next creative phase of his career, while returning to his first love — stand-up comedy (Noah will tour his homeland of South Africa in 2023). “There’s another part of my life that I miss exploring,” he said. “I miss learning other languages, I miss being in other countries and putting on shows — I miss being everywhere and doing everything.”
On Thursday, he reflected on the surreal experience of taking over the show and thanked his team: “I’m really grateful for everyone who helped us do this thing, even the people who aren’t here right now because they’ve moved on to great things, because they helped us do this thing,” he said. “I sort of felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” he added. “I came in for a tour of what the previous show was. And then the next thing I know, I was handed the keys.”
He’s going to be alright traveling the world with Dua Lipa 🙂