An Emotional Trevor Noah Says Farewell To ‘The Daily Show’

Trevor Noah hosted his final episode of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show Thursday night, joking that “when I started the show, I had three clear goals,” Noah said. “I’m going to make sure Hillary gets elected, I’m going to make sure that I prevent a global pandemic from starting and I’m going to become best friends with Kanye West. So I think it’s time to move on.”

Becoming more serious in his final thoughts before signing off, Noah credited his viewers—and the studio audience—who supported him as a relative unknown when he stepped in to replace Jon Stewart after 16 years. “I’m grateful to you. Every single one of you,” Noah said. “I remember when we started the show, we couldn’t get enough people to fill an audience. Then I look at this now, and I don’t take it for granted ever.”

As he wrapped up a show filled with comedy—much of it at his own expense—Noah insisted that the world “is a friendlier place than the internet and the news will make you think.”

Noah credited Black women—those in his family and guests he’s had on the show like Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom—for inspiring and informing him. “I’ve often been credited with having these grand ideas, people are like, oh, Trevor you’re so smart — I’m like, who do you think teaches me? Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, and formed me? From my mom, my gran, my aunts, all these Black women in my life, but then in America as well. I always tell people, if you truly want to learn about America, talk to Black women. Yeah, because unlike everybody else, Black women can’t afford to f—k around and find out.”

Back in September, Noah he surprised his studio audience by saying he would end his run in late night after 7 years. “My time is up,” he said. “We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together. It’s time.”

“It’s been wild,” Noah said of his rise from relative obscurity in the U.S. to becoming a fixture in late night. “I’m really grateful to a network that believed in this random comedian who nobody knew on this side of the world…ParamountPARA
has been amazing, ViacomCBS has been amazing.”

Comedy Central, in a statement, said the network had been working with Noah “for a long time to figure out how he can maintain the demanding schedule.” The network added that “with no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps.”

What’s next for The Daily Show?

So who takes over from Trevor Noah? Comedy Central has said little about the vision for The Daily Show—or who might be under consideration as a new host. This week the network announced that a group of “comedy greats and all-star correspondents” would “kick off the next chapter” of the show beginning January 17.

“Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks in a statement released by the network. “And as we look to the future, we are excited to reimagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely talented Daily Show team.”

The lineup of guest hosts includes Al Franken, Chelsea Handler, D. L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes and Marlon Wayans.