Thread by @Variety

Trevor Noah is nearing his last laugh on “The Daily Show.”

The comedian, who came out of near anonymity to take over the program from Jon Stewart in 2015, plans to exit the flagship Comedy Central series after a seven-year tenure. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

Trevor Noah transformed #TheDailyShow for a new generation of viewers who are more at home on social media than they are cable outlets and broadcast networks. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

Noah revealed his plans to an audience at Thursday evening’s taping of the program, according to two people familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear when his actual exit would take place, or if the network had begun to consider a successor. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

“We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. With no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps,” the network said in a statement. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

Noah’s plans to depart surface as TV’s late-night roster has begun to shrink. Yes, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel still appear every weeknight around 11:30 p.m. to poke fun at daily headlines, but they have fewer rivals. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

Comedy Central has several potential replacements for Noah on its roster. The host works with a large circle of faux “correspondents” that includes mainstays such as Desi Lydic, Roy Wood Jr., Ronny Chieng, Michael Costa and Dulcé Sloan. bit.ly/3SHO5ps

Noah has worked intensely to make the program his own, holding court with various media influencers after hours, and devising new “Daily” formats. His banter with the audience during commercial breaks became fodder for social-media clips. bit.ly/3SHO5ps