Trevor Noah, a comedian and host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central revealed he will be stepping down after hosting it for seven years.
In a video statement shared by The Daily Show on thursday, the 38-year-old born in Johannesburg, South Africa said his ‘time is up’
“I remember when we first started… so many people didn’t believe in us. It was a crazy bet to make. I still think it was a crazy choice, this random African,” said Noah.
“What a journey it’s been…It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected. 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, a standup comedian from South Africa, was a relative newcomer to American audiences when he was named as host of “The Daily Show” after Jon Stewart signed off in 2015.
The star quickly established himself with his own brand, suited for an era where online influence was often greater than that of content on cable.
His reign on The Daily Show required him to delicately cover some crucial moments in American history, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.
In the clip, Noah also thanked his viewers as his studio audience stood up to applaud him.
“I want to say thank you to you, to you who watched this,” Noah said. “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 revealed 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 expressed his gratitude to 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.”
He did not share when his final show would be, but said he’d still be around for awhile.
“Don’t worry, i’m not disappearing,” Trevor said. “If I owe you money, I’ll still pay you.”
A Comedy Central spokesperson shared in a statement Thursday revealing that there is no timetable for Noah’s exit and the network is working with him on next steps.
“We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Noah’s announcement comes five months after James Corden announced he would be leaving his comedy show, “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” in spring 2023 after hosting it since 2015.