The Daily Show’s host for seven years, comedian Trevor Noah, announced his departure from the late-night program at the conclusion of Thursday’s edition.
“I found myself thinking throughout the time [and] everything we’ve gone through — the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of, you know, the more pandemic — and I realized that after the seven years, my time is up,” he said. “But in the most beautiful way, honestly.”
One of his “greatest challenges” and “greatest joys,” according to Noah, was hosting the ridicule news program. He said he made the decision to leave the job because he wanted to focus more on other areas of his life, such as touring and live comedy performances, which he currently juggles with his “Daily Show” duties. He did not say when his final episode will air but did say it would not be instant.
“I’m not disappearing. Don’t worry,” he continued. “If I owe you money, I’ll still pay you.”
Loyal viewers were dubious when Noah replaced Jon Stewart, who had led the “Daily Show” for more than 15 years, in 2015. South African comedian Noah, who was very unknown, took on a prominent position. The CEO of Comedy Central stated at the time that Noah could relate to the network’s target audience as he was a millennial.
“I sort of felt like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ” Noah recalled Thursday. “I came in for a tour of what the previous show was, and the next thing I knew, I was handed the keys.”
Noah dispelled some of the scepticism on his first night in charge. Hank Stuever, a former Washington Post television reviewer, noted in a review that Noah’s “seemingly smooth debut” left him wondering why anyone had any concerns at all despite the fact that “there’s no way to judge a brand new ‘Daily Show’ on the strength or weakness of a single episode.”
“It’s too early for Noah to crush it, but it’s enough for now to just utter a sigh of relief,” Stuever stated. “ ‘The Daily Show’ is back, with its essential wit and irreverence intact.”
Through 2022, Noah’s deal with Comedy Central was extended in 2017 for an extra five years. Even though Noah’s “Daily Show” ratings weren’t quite as high as Stewart’s, the network still had confidence in Noah’s capacity to attract younger people to the show.
Outside of “The Daily Show,” the comedian’s career has flourished as well. Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, his memoir that was published in 2016, has been optioned for a movie. He also presided over the previous two Grammy Awards, the latter of which came just before he headlined the White House correspondents’ dinner in April. He was the first comedian to do so since former “Daily Show” contributor Michelle Wolf sparked controversy with her performance in 2018 by hosting the Grammy Awards. (In an episode of the late-night program airing shortly after, Noah jokingly referred to Wolf’s performance as “disgraceful.”)
“When we first started,” Noah said Thursday, “so many people didn’t believe in us. It was a crazy bet to make. I mean, I still think it was a crazy choice. … And what a journey it’s been.”
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Source: The Washington Post
Adam Ibrahim
Adam is passionate about politics and issues that affect governance. As a writer, he channels his energies into writing on pertinent national and political issues for the good of the Ghanaian people.