The Daily Show will continue without Trevor Noah.
Sources close to production tell that the long-running late-night series is indeed continuing at Comedy Central, despite industry speculation it could move to streamer Paramount+ after Noah signed off.
Noah stunned Comedy Central and Paramount executives Thursday night by announcing he was leaving the show after seven years. Sources say Chris McCarthy — the Paramount exec who oversees Comedy Central, MTV and a slew of other cable linear networks — and employees on the show and up in the conglomerate didn’t find out until Noah announced the host was planning to leave The Daily show. Additionally, McCarthy had lunch with Noah on Wednesday to discuss his future on the late-night show, but the host gave no indication that he would announce his departure a day later.
“I feel like it’s about time,” Noah told viewers on Thursday night, which marked almost exactly seven years to the day since he took over from Jon Stewart. “I spent two years [of the pandemic] in my apartment, not on the street, and when i got back out i realized that there is another part of my life that i want to explore further. I miss learning other languages, I miss going to other countries and doing shows, I miss being everywhere and doing everything.”
Noah renewed his option in June to remain at the center of The Daily Show for another two years. Sources note he also had an option for another year that would have seen him through the 2024-25 season. That prompted Noah to leave an extra surprise for everyone at Paramount and The Daily Show.
The timing of Noah’s final episodes has not yet been finalized as sources say those talks are expected to start this week. Once Noah’s departure from The Daily Show is complete, McCarthy and the executives at Paramount-owned Comedy Central will begin discussing who will take the helm of The Daily Show.
“As time goes on we will move on to the next chapter of The Daily Show and all of our incredible correspondents will be at the top of that list. Until then, our focus is on celebrating Trevor and thanking him for his many contributions,” a Comedy Central spokesperson said in a statement to THR.
Comedy Central already has a solid roster of Daily Show correspondents, including Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta and Dulcé Sloan.
As reported by THR on Friday, Noah is keen to spend more time on tour, where he’s that rare breed of comedian who can sell out massive arenas, as well as things like podcasting, writing another book, acting and increasing his contributions as a producer. Noah remains signed to Paramount for his Day Zero production company and has several projects in the works for the company. His commitment to The Daily Show taping has largely prevented him from becoming more involved in it.