Trevor Noah is leaving “The Daily Show” after hosting one of Comedy Central’s hallmark programs for the last seven years.
The funnyman made the announcement on his show Thursday, according to a clip shared on Twitter by The Daily Show’s account.
“It’s been absolutely amazing, it’s something that I never expected and I found myself thinking throughout the time, everything we’ve gone through … and I realized after seven years my time is up,” Noah said to gasps from the audience.
The South Africa native said he’s loved hosting the show, calling it one of his greatest challenges and joys. He mentioned addressing the Trump presidency and also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic during his tenure as host.
“I’ve loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh even when the stories are particularly sh—y on the worst days,” Noah said. “We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together.”
Noah, 38, took over “The Daily Show” in 2015 after he started as a contributor the previous year.
When Noah was picked to replace the well-regarded Jon Stewart, he said “so many people didn’t believe in us.”
“It was a crazy bet to make,” Noah said, stressing he was filled with gratitude.
At the end of his five-minute remarks, the studio audience gave him a rousing standing ovation.
The sudden announcement comes as rumors have emerged that he is dating pop star Dua Lipa after they were spotted in the Big Apple together.
It was not immediately clear when Noah’s last show would be.
The impending departure was first reported by Decider.