After 8 years as a fan-favorite correspondent, Roy Wood Jr. is leaving The Daily Show.
The comedian announced today in a statement that he was moving on from the Comedy Central staple.
Roy Wood Jr.'s statement on leaving "The Daily Show."
“After eight amazing years on The Daily Show, where I’ve been able to pursue my comedic and political curiosities with some of the best writers, producers, crew and correspondents anyone could hope for, I’ve made the decision to move on,” Wood said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Trevor Noah, Paramount, and especially Comedy Central for giving me the runway to also produce three one-hour stand-up specials, for letting me host two award winning podcasts, letting me write & shoot my own comedy pilot, write a film, and much, much more.”
“I look forward to finding other ways to collaborate with them down the road,” he added. “Until then, I am excited to nurture new ideas and see what the future holds for me in the shifting sands of late night television, scripted comedy, and whatever else the comedy gods may have in store for me in 2024 and beyond.”
“Roy Wood Jr is a comedic genius and beloved teammate,” a spokesperson for the show said in a statement. “His insights and hilarity helped us make sense of the 2016 election, the pandemic, and countless hours of Fox News. We thank him for his time with us and can’t wait to see what he does next.”
What's next for "The Daily Show"?
Of course, this comes as the show is in the middle of a transitional period. After Trevor Noah left in December 2022, the show has had a variety of guest hosts filling in, including Wood Jr. In an interview with NPR, it sounds like the comedian would consider returning as permanent host.
"I can't come up with Plan B is while still working with Plan A," he said. "The job of correspondent...it's not really one where you can juggle multiple things. [And] I think eight years is a good run."
"If you're offered the chance to host The Daily Show at any point in your life...you have to stop for a second and consider that," he continued. "The next question becomes, 'What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?'"
Roy Wood Jr. is definitely at the top of our list of picks to take on the show. He’s proven himself to be a standout voice on the late night program. So we’d love to see that happen!
