Trevor Noah to Depart Daily Show After Seven Years at The Helm

Trevor Noah: Seven Year Reign on Daily Show

For the last seven years, South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator and actor has been hosting the fake news on Comedy Central's long running program The Daily Show.

The Emmy and Peabody Award winning satire sharply lampoons the day's top headlines. In October 2022, Emmy Award winning host Noah announced that he is stepping down for a variety of reasons.

Noah’s Announcement Shocks the TV Networks

Trevor Noah’s announcement apparently came as a surprise to network executives who presumed Noah would stay at the helm for at least another couple of years.

The Born A Crime author and activist claimed earnestly that the demanding production schedule has prevented him from other things he desperately misses: learning new languages, traveling abroad, and doing live stand-up.

Apparently his 8-figure deal wasn’t incentive enough to keep him behind the desk. While his departure is imminent, no specific date has been announced. Noah hopes to close this professional chapter by the end of the year.

Filling Trevor Noah’s Daily Shoes

Without much time to fill the high profile post, Comedy Central may look to current correspondents on the program like Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, Dulce Sloan or Roy Wood Jr. After all, Noah himself was promoted from Senior International Correspondent, a position he had held since he joined the show in 2014.

However, don’t count out other more recognizable names who were evidently being considered to replace John Stewart back in 2014.

Potential John Stewart Replacements From 2014 Re-Emerge in 2022

Once Noah had been officially announced as Stewart’s replacement, sources revealed that Amy Schumer, Louis C.K., Chris Rock and Amy Poehler had each been approached for the gig but for various reasons, they all turned it down.

Perhaps one of them will reconsider and show interest in taking over for Noah when he leaves, though all bets on Louis C.K. even making the long list are certainly off due to his checkered past.

A New Daily Show Hostess?

If The Daily Show decides to break ranks and hire a female, Samantha Bee, whose TBS show Full Frontal was just unceremoniously canceled, feels like the obvious frontrunner. As a former Daily Show correspondent herself, the learning curve would be gentle, providing for a seamless transition.

Amber Ruffin, currently a writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers also seems to be a logical choice. But with her own eponymous comedy series on Peacock and a Broadway musical opening in a couple of months— she’s the bookwriter for the adaptation of Some Like It Hot— the timing may not be right.

From Craig Kilborn to John Stewart to Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah replaced John Stewart in 2015, whose tenure at the parody cable mainstay had seemingly run its course. Stewart, like Noah, had other professional and personal pursuits in mind. And although the show existed prior to Stewart, he certainly put it on the mainstream cultural radar in a more amplified way.

Comedian Craig Kilborn, who hosted The Daily Show from 1996-1998, focused more on pop culture than the hard-hitting political skewering made famous by Stewart and his cohort.

Notable correspondents during Stewart’s reign include Steve Carell, Michael Che, Josh Gad, Ed Helms, Olivia Munn, John Oliver and current Late Show host Stephen Colbert. However, Stewart was sometimes taken to task for not pressing his guests harder during interviews.

The Daily Show: Ratings and Emmys

The Daily Show remains Comedy Central’s longest running program and has won 24 Primetime Emmy Awards to date.

At the very start of Noah's tenure post (John Stewart), ratings declined by about 37 percent. Over the years, they gradually increased, only to once again fall. The show hit its lowest ratings in 15 years in 2020.

Viewership will likely rise as Trevor Noah prepares to close out his term.