Comedian Roy Wood Jr. To Leave The Daily Show After 8 Years | HuffPost Entertainment - Action News
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Posted: 2023-10-06T00:25:55Z | Updated: 2023-10-06T14:57:17Z

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. has decided not to return to Comedy Centrals The Daily Show after an eight-year run as a correspondent for the talk show, NPR first reported .

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 cant wait to see what he does next, a spokesperson for The Daily Show said in a statement sent to HuffPost.

In an exclusive interview with NPR, Wood explained that he wants to figure out whats next in his career since he wasnt offered the position of host.

I cant come up with Plan B while still working with Plan A, Wood said. The job of correspondent ... its not really one where you can juggle multiple things. [And] I think eight years is a good run.

HuffPost also reached out to Woods representative for additional comment and did not receive an immediate response.

The Daily Show has been on the hunt for a new host since comedian Trevor Noah, who started hosting the show in 2015, stepped down in late 2022.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj, who briefly worked for The Daily Show as a correspondent from 2014 to 2018, was a leading candidate, Variety reported in August. But last month, Comedy Central said it was going back to square one with its search a decision announced shortly after a New Yorker article revealed that some of the autobiographical stories in Minhajs comedy routines were fabricated and embellished.

Wood told NPR that he wasnt sure if he was ever considered. A representative of The Daily Show did not respond to HuffPosts request to comment on whether Wood was in the running to replace Noah.

In his interview with NPR, Wood emphasized, though, that he does not hold a grudge against Comedy Central, which has worked with him on several projects beyond The Daily Show, including stand-up specials and two podcasts. Wood told Comedy Central about his decision to leave but has not informed The Daily Show yet.

But Wood said that if offered the role as host, he would still consider it.

If youre offered the chance to host The Daily Show at any point in your life ... you have to stop for a second and consider that, he told NPR. The next question becomes, What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?

While the host search continues, the show is expected to be led by guest hosts throughout the upcoming season, similar to the format used earlier in the year following Noahs departure, according to Variety . Executives expect to find a new host in early 2024.

The Daily Show is expected to return on Oct. 16 after a months-long hiatus caused by the Writers Guild of America strike, which halted TV show production in May.

The strike ended last week, and some shows have already resumed airing or have announced their return, including John Olivers Last Week Tonight and Saturday Night Live .

Drew Barrymore announced her daytime talk shows return, but the three head writers decided not to come back . Barrymore was criticized last month for deciding to resume her show during the WGA strike, then decided to pause it again until after the strike ended.