Another era of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show is coming to an end.
Ahead of Thursday, September 29th’s show, Trevor Noah announced that he would be leaving the talk show after seven years as host.
“One of the overriding feelings I found myself experiencing … was a feeling of gratitude,” he began, reflecting on his time on The Daily Show.
“There are so many people who make this thing come together, and I want to say thank you to the audience for an amazing seven years,” he continued. “It’s been wild. 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… What a journey it’s been.”
In the clip, the 38-year-old, went on to discuss some of the biggest moments of his time on the show.
“It’s something that I never expected, and I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through — the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey, the more pandemic,” said Noah. “And I realized that after these seven years, my time is up. But in the most beautiful way, honestly.”
Noah added, “I’ve loved hosting the show. It’s been one of my greatest challenges. It’s been one of my greatest joys. I’ve loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh even when the stories are particularly s—– on the worst days. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together. But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.”
“I’m really grateful to a network who believed in this random comedian nobody knew on this side of the world,” he concluded. “I never dreamed that I would be here. I sort of felt like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I came in for a tour of what the previous show was, and then the next thing I knew, I was handed the keys. I couldn’t have done it without [the audience], and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it without you.”
The Daily Show premiered in 1996 with Craig Kilborn as host. Jon Stewart, now 59, took over from 1999 to 2015, when he handed the reigns to Noah.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.