WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Comedian Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, said he was leaving the show after seven years, saying he wanted to spend more time doing stand-up comedy. .
The 38-year-old comedian, who moved to the United States in 2011 and was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, had big shoes to fill when he took over in 2015 after the departure of host Jon Stewart.
It quickly established itself with its own brand, fitting for an era where online influence was often greater than that of cable content.
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His reign on The Daily Show required him to delicately cover some pivotal moments in American history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.
“I spent two years in my apartment (during COVID-19), not on the road. It was on my feet, and when I got back out there, I realized there’s another part of my life that I want to continue. exploring,” Noah told his studio audience Thursday afternoon. The Daily Show posted a clip of Noah’s comments on social media.
“We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together. But after seven years, I feel like the time has come,” Noah said.
He ended his remarks by thanking his viewers as his studio audience rose to their feet to applaud him.
Noah, who grilled US politicians and the media at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, did not mention the exact date of his departure in his remarks on Thursday. It was not known who would succeed him.
The key to addressing current events through a comic lens lies in a comic’s intent, Noah said in a 2016 interview with Reuters, adding that he learns from his mistakes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been ready, but that’s when you have to, you’re not going to be ready,” the comedian told Reuters in the context of succeeding his legendary predecessor.
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Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Gerry Doyle
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