Roy Wood Jr. Announces His Departure From ‘The Daily Show’ After Being Passed Up For The Permanent Host Position

Roy Wood Jr.

Roy Wood Jr. Announces His Departure From ‘The Daily Show’ After Being Passed Up For The Permanent Host Position

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. is saying goodbye to “The Daily Show”.

The Comedy Central correspondent recently revealed he will not be returning to the series once it returns to TV later this month.

According to reports, Roy Wood Jr. made the tough decision after the network announced they would not be choosing a permanent host for the show until 2024. If you recall the previous host, South African native Trevor Noah, left the series last year following a 7 year run. Roy, who was brought in as a contributor to the show by Noah, has now been on the show for eight years and says he’s moving on to find bigger and better things. He reportedly stated on his departure:

“I can’t come up with Plan B is while still working with Plan A…The job of correspondent…it’s not really one where you can juggle multiple things,”

Adding:

[And] I think eight years is a good run.”

After Noah left the show, Comedy Central employed a series a guest hosts that included comics such as Wood himself, Leslie Jones, Wanda Sykes, Chelsea Handler, and fellow “The Daily Show” corespondent Hasan Minhaj who rotated out for a week at a time. As we covered shortly after Noah’s transition, some reports stated that Wood was being eyed to take over the job.

However, as the network began narrowing down their next permanent host earlier this year, conflicting reports stated that it was Minhaj’s name that rose above the crowd. Speaking on his colleague potentially landing the role, Wood reportedly stated:

“I think Hasan checks a lot of boxes that the network would want and people would want…Hasan’s young, he’s global and he has the political I.Q.”

Despite speculations, Comedy Central never confirmed reports about Minhaj taking the helm. Through everything, Wood says that he holds no grudges against the network and even admitted that if he is eventually considered for the top spot he would take the time to think about the offer, stating:

“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…The next question becomes, ‘What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?'”

Roy Wood Jr.

The comedian seems to have doubled down on his no hard feelings approach, taking to his social media account with some additional reflective thoughts about leaving the satirical news program. Wood wrote:

“‘You don’t own these jobs. You rent them. They are not yours. Ultimately, no matter how long you are there, you’re just passing through’- Doug Herzog“

However, it seems many social media users agree that the comics feelings of being over looked are valid, and shared their disapproving thoughts of Comedy Central passing him up for the gig.

[VIA]

Are you sad to hear Roy Wood Jr. is leaving “The Daily Show”? Let us know in the comments section below!