Trevor Noah has essentially become a household name and has done pretty well for himself, amassing a whopping $100 million net worth during the span of his career. Noah has found success in writing books, stand-up comedy, making cameos in film, and of course, entertaining the masses on The Daily Show as its most recent host and producer. And while his brand of humor on the show may not be for everyone, there is no denying that Trevor Noah did a fantastic job during his eight years as the host of The Daily Show.
Just like the hosts before him, and like all good things, Noah has announced his departure from The Daily Show, ending yet another era in late-night television hosting. And while no official replacement host has been announced just yet, fans and viewers of the show, as well as the media, are already speculating who could possibly take Trevor's place on the show.
The Daily Show Has Had Other Hosts
While Trevor Noah may be the host that is currently leaving, he is not the first host that has made an exit from The Daily Show.
The very first host of The Daily Show was Craig Kilborn from 1996 through 1998. Kilborn was well known at the time as an ESPN SportsCenter anchor.
He ended up leaving to host another late-night show on CBS, and that's when Jon Stewart took over as the host of The Daily Show, a role he would keep from 1999 through 2015, making him the longest-running host to date.
According to Britannica, The Daily Show experienced an increase in viewership while Stewart was the host and became known for its political commentary, comedic delivery of certain lines, and its occasional jabs at mainstream traditional media.
Trevor Noah came in to replace John Stewart as The Daily Show's host in 2015 when Stewart himself appointed the South African-born comedian as the new host, having a hand at not only ending an era of the show, but getting a new one started as well.
And now Trevor Noah's time has come to a close, with the host surprising viewers of the show, and apparently Comedy Central as well, with his departure announcement.
Noah has not picked a replacement for himself on the show, and is allegedly walking away from making $16 million a year per his contract.
Noah was adamant that he felt his time on the show was up, and while grateful for the experience and life it has afforded him, he expressed an interest in wanting to pursue other passions, including learning other languages and putting on shows in other countries.
Several Guest Hosts Have Been Called In To Help
Several guest hosts have stepped up in the wake of Trevor Noah's surprise exit from the show to fill the slot while a more permanent solution is being looked into.
Some of the talent he is referring to includes Chelsea Handler, who is already a queen of late-night comedy hosting gigs.
Other names include Leslie Jones, John Leguizamo, D.L Hughley, Marlon Wayans, Wanda Sykes, Al Franken, Hasan Minhaj, Kal Penn, and Sarah Silverman, all of which have comedic backgrounds in one way or another.
The president ad CEO of Paramount Media Networks, Comedy Centrals' parent company, Chris McCarthy expressed excitement for what the future could hold for the show and appeared optimistic about what is to come.
In a statement he issued around the time Noah announced his departure, McCarthy said "Trevor redefined the show, as did Jon Stewart before him, and as we look to the future, we are excited to re-imagine it yet again with the help of this incredible list of talent and correspondents along with the immensely talented Daily Show team."
Some Believe One Of The Correspondents Can Take Over
While The Daily Show is certainly known for its lead hosts, it also has had a rotating cast of what they call correspondents, which act as sort of news anchors for their satirical news segments on the show, and some of them have gone on to make a name for themselves thanks largely in part to The Daily Show.
Comedians like Steve Carell, John Oliver, Ed Helms, and even Stephen Colbert were all correspondences on the show either before they made it big or while they were working on other projects.
As most will know, Carell has had a wildly successful acting career in Hollywood and even worked together with fellow correspondent Ed Helms on The Office.
Both John Oliver and Stephen Colbert have moved on to host their own late-night talk shows as well
Some feel that Desi Lydic, a correspondent that often appeared during Trevor Noahs' time on The Daily Show, would be a great replacement given that she was on his team from the very start.
By that same token, Roy Wood Jr. and Ronny Chieng have also been thrown in as possible replacements.
Other names thrown in the ether include Dulce' Sloan, Jordan Klepper, Hassan Minhaj, Amber Ruffin, Samantha Bee, Andy Cohen, and Loyiso Gola, all of which will likely do a fantastic job at picking up the helm of The Daily Show.