Trevor Noah Announces Exit From Series (VIDEO)

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah fans got quite the surprise on September 29 when the Comedy Central show’s host announced he’ll be leaving after helming the program for seven years.

In some remarks addressed to his audience, both in the studio and at home, Trevor Noah acknowledged his time with the popular comedic news program, “I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through — the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of the more pandemic…” he teased. “And I realized that after the seven years, my time is up.”

What followed was an audible gasp from the in-studio audience as shock settled over the crowd. “Yeah,” Noah responded. “But in the most beautiful way, honestly,” he said of concluding his run. “I’ve loved hosting this show, it’s been one my greatest challenges, it’s been one of my greatest joys. I’ve loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh even when the stories are particularly s***ty on the worst days.”

(Credit: Comedy Central)

“We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, but after seven years, I feel like it’s time, you know?” he added. Noah signed on as host of the program in 2015 following in the footsteps of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

Noah went on to explain that part of his decision to leave stems from his love of standup and traveling. After spending two years in his apartment without hitting the road, Noah revealed, “when I got back out there again, I realized this is another part of my life I want to carry on exploring. I miss learning other languages, I miss going to other countries, and putting on shows,”

He then went on to thank his crew, fans, and beyond. “I’m really grateful to every single person who is here, even the people who aren’t here right now because they went on to do great things.” Noah promised that his exit isn’t imminent as he joked “I’m not disappearing, don’t worry. If I owe you money, I’ll still pay you.”

He also promised exact dates and details surrounding his departure will be unveiled in due time. “I never dreamed that I would be here,” he said. “I sort of felt like Charlie in the chocolate factory. I came in for a tour of what the previous show was and then the next thing I know, I was handed the keys. But I couldn’t have done it without you and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it without you.”

See Noah’s full announcement in the video, above, and let us know what you think of his exit in the comments section, below.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Weeknights, 11/10c, Comedy Central