>
Trevor Noah has revealed that he has met with all his potential successors to warn them of the downsides of hosting The Daily Show.
Noah, who will be leaving the show in December, said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that he was surprised when he took the job seven years ago and wants the next in line to know what it entails.
The comedian, who has hosted the Comedy Central program since 2015, announced his intention to leave while taping the Sept. 29 episode, surprising the show’s audience and staff.
It was revealed that since making the shocking announcement, he has spoken to all of the show’s correspondents, most of whom he has chosen, to explain the specifics of the job.
“I wish someone had told me what a drag it was,” he told the publication, explaining that the role has been 24/7.
“You also run the show, so everything from HR to set design, you’re part of it, and it doesn’t stop when you leave the building,” he said.
“There’s not a moment when breaking news happens where I go, ‘Oh, wow, I don’t care.'” No, I care. Being informed is part of my job.’
In September, Noah told his audience he was ending his stint with the program, telling viewers, “There’s still a part of my life I want to keep exploring”
Comedian Trevor Noah has announced his first post-Daily Show appearance will be a domestic tour of his stand-up act Off the Record, kicking off just weeks after he completed his official time behind the Comedy Central desk
While Noah acknowledged he was overwhelmed when he took the job all those years ago, he said he has no regrets.
‘Because I don’t know if the answer is yes. And maybe that’s what saved me, the ignorance, because I’m glad I did. It’s like, would I go bungee jumping again? I don’t know, but I’m also glad I did.’
Noah’s last day hosting the show will be Dec. 3, Comedy Central said in October.
The comedian explained in the interview that he felt that everything should come to an end.
“Many American companies and American media just say, ‘Keep going as long as you can,’ but I think it’s healthy for things to end if they’re still in a good place,” he said.
His decision to stop hosting The Daily Show came amid steadily declining viewership.
When he took over in 2015, ratings were around 900,000, but numbers have often fallen below 400,000 in recent months. For those numbers, Noah was reportedly compensated more than $16 million annually.
During his predecessor Jon Stewart’s tenure, ratings typically hovered around 1.5 million per episode – rising to 2.5 million in 2013.
When announcing the decision to retire from hosting, he said, “I realized there’s another part of my life I want to keep exploring.”
‘I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and doing shows. I just miss being everywhere, doing everything,” says Noah, who speaks seven languages.
The comedian will hit the road in the new year and embark on a tour that will last almost all of 2023.
It kicks off January 20 in Atlanta before heading to cities like St. Louis, Baltimore, Boston, Nashville and New Orleans.
In September he also gives performances in his home country South Africa, visiting Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.
In addition to the 28-city U.S. tour, Noah says he’ll be doing shows in his home country of South Africa and also launching a stand-up hour on Netflix later this month.
In September, Noah told his audience he was ending his stint with the program, telling viewers, “There’s still a part of my life I want to keep exploring”
In his exit speech in September, Noah pointed to the length of his tenure and the eras the show has endured, including the Trump presidency and the pandemic.
‘I realized that after seven years my time is up, but in the best way. I loved hosting the show. It has been one of my greatest challenges and greatest joys.
“I loved figuring out how to make people laugh even on the worst days. We laughed together. We cried together. After seven years I think it’s time.’
Following his announcement, the network released a statement saying, “In due course, we’ll be moving into the next chapter of The Daily Show, and all of our incredible correspondents will be at the top of that list.” Until then, we are focused on celebrating Trevor and thanking him for his many contributions.”