Jon Stewart And Trevor Noah’s Daily Show Replacement Has Been Decided?

Roy Wood Jr. is reportedly the top choice to replace Trevor Noah as host of The Daily Show.

By Britta DeVore | Updated

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Roy Wood Jr. on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

An institution in not only the world of late-night television but also in the comedy news circuit, fans have been wondering what will happen to The Daily Show following the heartfelt farewell of seven-year host Trevor Noah. While many have been in the running, it seems as though long-time The Daily Show contributor and comedian Roy Wood Jr. is one of the names at the top of the list. According to Deadline, Wood Jr., who hosts the Comedy Central and iHeart podcast Roy’s Job Fair, is taking a break from his current podcast-hosting role to determine his next steps. 

During the latest episode of Roy’s Job Fair, the comedian said that this would be the “last episode… for a little while,” adding that the break is necessary for him to take time to think about his future in late-night television. While it was pertinent that he weighed out the pros and cons of what stepping into a position like that of The Daily Show host would entail, he said that ending, or rather putting a pause on his podcast was “not an easy decision to come to.” He continued to say that he didn’t want to be burning the candles at both ends, which would lead to inevitable burnout. 

Even with stepping away from his mic at Roy’s Job Fair, the entertainer’s possible future behind the desk at The Daily Show is still up in the air. While he confirmed that he hopes to continue to be “in consideration” for the role and knows that he’s in the running, he also knows that others, including fellow contributor Desi Lydic, are hoping to be named as the show’s latest host. At the end of his comments surrounding his The Daily Show possibilities, Roy Wood Jr. said that he will continue to “put a couple of the pots on the stove” and hope beyond hope that “one of them bits pays off.”

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Trevor Noah and Roy Wood Jr. on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Comedian Craig Kilbourne was the first to sit behind the desk of Comedy Central’s late-night comedy news series, hosting The Daily Show for its first two years between 1996 and 1998. Following clashes with the show’s creators Lizz Winstead and Madeleine Smithberg, Kilbourne stepped down from his position, allowing the opening for the legendary Jon Stewart to take over. The show would shift during Stewart’s time as host from being more of a character-heavy comedically driven show to the satire on politics that we know today.

Jon Stewart’s tenure on The Daily Show was a long-running one that saw the comedian coming into homes across America from the years of 1999 to 2015. If you agreed with Stewart’s politics, his voice and passion for his beloved country came through during each episode, adding comedy to take the edge off some of the most troubling times in recent history. Following his departure in 2015, Trevor Noah would take over the show, again turning the tone of the program to include more humor driven to the show’s major demographic of millennials. 

Roy Wood Jr. would be added as a correspondent during Trevor Noah’s time at The Daily Show along with Desi Lydic and Ronny Chieng. For those who were fans of Roy Wood Jr.’s work as a podcast host, you can still hear him on Comedy Central and iHeart’s Beyond the Scenes from The Daily Show. Hopefully, for those in the running for the host position, The Daily Show’s hiring process will be easier than that of Jeopardy!