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The Daily Show still hasn’t hired a permanent host, and now they’ve lost their correspondent Roy Wood Jr. The comedian has informed Comedy Central that he will not be returning to the position he has held for the past eight years when the show returns later this month, according to NPR. “I can’t come up with Plan B is while still working with Plan A,” Wood explained. “The job of correspondent…it’s not really one where you can juggle multiple things.”
The comedian added that he isn’t sure whether he is being considered as a replacement for Trevor Noah, who departed his hosting gig on the show in January. But either way, he doesn’t want to spend any more time waiting around for someone else’s job. “[They’re] not going to give me the job just to keep me,” Wood explained when asked about informing Comedy Central of his decision to leave.
In the absence of Noah, the Daily Show has cycled through a number of guest hosts, including Leslie Jones, Wanda Sykes, Marlon Wayans, and former correspondent-turned-likely candidate Hasan Minhaj, who is reportedly still a top three finalist for the hosting position despite a revealing New Yorker story detailing fabrications in his work. Wood has also hosted the show in the time since Noah’s departure, as has his fellow correspondents Jordan Klepper and Desi Lydic.
“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,” Wood said, expressing that he would still consider the role despite his exit as correspondent. “The next question becomes, ‘What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?’”
In a brief statement to NPR, The Daily Show shared: “Roy Wood Jr. is a comedic genius and beloved teammate. 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.”
When The Daily Show returns after being off-air for months during the writers strike, it will run through the remainder of the year with weekly guest hosts. Whoever they land on to host permanently will begin in 2024.
