Trevor Noah is departing “The Daily Show” after seven years.
The comedian, 38, announced during a taping of the long-running Comedy Central show Thursday that he will be leaving the comedic current events program.
“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, who hails from South Africa. “What a journey it’s been… It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected.”
He added: “After the seven years, my time is up, but in the most beautiful way, honestly. I’ve loved hosting this show. … But after seven years I feel like it’s time.”
Noah’s announcement earned a standing ovation from the masked studio audience.
A Comedy Central spokesperson said in a statement Thursday there is no timetable for Noah’s departure and the network is working with him on next steps.
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“We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years,” the statement added.
“The Daily Show” was previously hosted by Craig Kilborn from 1996 to 1998 and Jon Stewart from 1999 to 2015. Noah took over the show in 2015.
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.
In July, TBS announced it is pulling “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” from the network after seven seasons. The move came after a Warner Bros. Discovery merger that saw many executives depart from the company following an internal restructure.
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Contributing: Angie Orellana Hernandez