It may not come as much of a surprise to loyal Theo Von fans. The comedian announced on the latest episode of the podcast King and the Sting (Now retitled King and the Sting and the Wing with Chris D'Elia joining as co-host) that this would be his last episode as host.
This does not mean that Von will not appear on the podcast as a guest. Still, with a major player in the podcast departing, it's unclear how much longer the show will go on.
The show started back in 2018 with Von hosting alongside podcaster and former professional mixed martial artist Brendan Schaub. 193 episodes later, the podcast has built up a sizable fanbase. While the show ostensibly has a format involving responding to fan submissions, it's mostly a platform for the hosts and guests to joke around and riff off of one another.
But now Von is moving on to (hopefully) greener pastures. The comedian already hosts his own popular podcast, This Past Weekend, not to mention being a favorite throughout the major comedy podcast circuit. He also has released two comedy specials on Netflix.
It's not immediately clear what Von's new plans may be now that he is no longer fully committed to KATS. For now, it appears Von is taking a step back in general. Last month he released a video discussing anxiety and needing to take a break. While podcasting may be taking a backseat, Von is still in full swing in terms of standup, and continues to tour.
There are certainly many comedians ready and willing to take Von's chair on KATS, but it is clear that for fans, Von was the major draw. Schaub has a complicated relationship with the comedy community in general. Joe Rogan once joked on his podcast about Schaub being "the most hated man on the internet." Part of the dislike comes from Schaub's frequent involvements in drama, and part of it comes from Schaub being perceived as having his comedy career propped up artificially by his famous comedian friends.
Some of it may also have to do with people just not finding him very funny.
Whether this perception is fair or not, this is part of the reason why the future of the podcast is now uncertain. It may be that Schaub is able to bring in new hosts or guests to keep people hooked. It seems likely that Von's solo career - which is undoubtedly bigger than the show - will continue. But without the King, there may not be many people interested in the Sting.