Correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is leaving “The Daily Show” after eight years. The decision came down to Wood not being offered the show’s top hosting spot and wanting to figure out the next stage in his career.
“I can’t come up with what Plan B is while still working with Plan A,” Wood, who has been with the series since 2015, said in an interview with NPR.
“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 obtained by TheWrap.
The comedian noted that he was “grateful” to Trevor Noah, Paramount and Comedy Central. During his time with the network, Wood has produced three one-hour standup specials, hosted two award-winning podcasts, written and shot a comedy pilot and has written a film. He added “I look forward to finding other ways to collaborate with them down the road.”
“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,” the statement concludes.
“Roy Wood Jr is a comedic genius and beloved teammate,” a spokesperson for “The Daily Show” told TheWrap. “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.”
Wood’s departure comes as the future of “The Daily Show” is up in the air. In September of 2022, Trevor Noah announced that he was stepping down as the host of Comedy Central’s longest-running show. Ever since then, the series has been replaced by a revolving door of guests hosts as the hunt for its permanent hunt continues.
For a long time comedian Hasan Minhaj was rumored to be the top candidate for the job. But after an expose was released about the fabrications in his act, the search has been widened. “The Daily Show” will return on Comedy Central Oct. 16.
