Trevor Noah is opening up about his plans after his run at "The Daily Show" comes to an end this year.
Noah shocked viewers Sept. 29 when he announced that he will be leaving as host of the long-running Comedy Central program. The network announced this week that his final episode will air Dec. 8.
On Thursday, the 38-year-old comedian went on "The Tonight Show" and talked with host Jimmy Fallon about why he's leaving "The Daily Show" and what lies ahead for him.
"I think everybody has gone through a period of looking at their lives — every single person. We were in our apartments for two years, the world changed." Noah said. "We experienced collective grief. I think if you don't look at your life and think about what you'd like to do differently, then you haven't experienced what we've all experienced, and so I think [my departure] is a joyous thing."
In his departure announcement last month, Noah said, "It's been absolutely amazing. It's something that I never expected. And I found myself thinking throughout the time, you know, everything we've gone through, the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of, you know, more pandemic ...and I realized that after the seven years, my time is up."
Noah restated his gratitude for the opportunity to host the show to Fallon, adding that he decided to depart from the show while he's still "good" and "loved."
"I don't take anything for granted anymore. I don't believe that life is a given. I don't assume that things will come to me," he said. "And so, I just go, 'This is it, this is the time.' And leave when people say, 'Why are you leaving?' Because imagine if it was the other way around? I go like, 'I'm leaving' and people are like, 'Yeah, yeah.'"
The discussion shifted to what the South African comedian planned to do next, to which he enthusiastically said , "Everything. Everything. ... I'm so excited to do everything.
"I'm gonna get drumming lessons from ['Tonight Show' bandleader Questlove]," he joked, before discussing the matter more seriously.
"I didn't get to travel as much doing stand-up around the world. I'm excited," Noah explained. "I used to go to a country and I would be there for weeks on end, I would learn the parts of the language or learn about the culture, and I'd do a show based around that. I'm gonna get back to doing that."
He also has other plans.
"Producing, you know? Like just working behind the camera, working on different ideas. Going back home, spending more time with family in South Africa. Everything, is what I'm going to be doing."
The Emmy-winning host said he's exhausted from the pace of late-night TV, saying, "The show is hard Jimmy. We're here every day Jimmy ... Why aren't you leaving Jimmy?"
And yes, a return to stand-up comedy is in his future. While he's "still nervous" to get back onstage, Noah is excited about returning to his roots.
"I'm going back to the small rooms again, because that's where you start the set."
———
