Trevor Noah celebrates his last episode of “The Daily Show” after 7 years behind the desk

CNN
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Trevor Noah’s final night as host of Comedy Central’s satirical news report “The Daily Show” was his 7-year stint as host and featured a packed audience, full of reporters and a star-studded farewell message.

“Don’t be sad,” Noah said in his closing monologue, “it didn’t feel like seven years. Well, not on the table. Obviously I went home in between. Still, it was a wild ride.

Segments of reporters paying tribute to Noah and a video montage of farewells from Oprah, Issa Rae, Kamala Harris, Tracey Rose, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton and more helped carry the host through the night.

“I don’t pretend to understand America, you know, I think I’ve been here in a relatively short time,” Noah said, adding that his perspective as a South African comedian brought an outsider’s perspective to the show. But he did offer some lessons he learned.

Noah noted the strong influence that American political parties hold, encouraging his audience to consider issues outside of Democratic or Republican ideals.

“We live in a society where we increasingly introduce ourselves to the things that divide us, forgetting that true friendships come from similarities, and then differences are how we polish each other as human beings,” he said.

“The problems are real, but politics is an inventive way of solving those problems,” Noah said. “It’s not binary. There aren’t two ways to solve any problem. There aren’t just two ways to be.”

In the final minutes of the show, Noah Black women said thank youEspecially those who took the time to “inform me, educate me, reason with me.”

“I’ve often been credited with, you know, having these wonderful ideas … Who do you think is teaching me? Who do you think is shaping me, raising me, informing me. From my mother, my gran, my aunt—all these black women in my life, ” said the presenter.

“If you really want to know America, talk to black women,” she continued.

Noah took over the show in 2015 from longtime host Jon Stewart, whose 16 years on the show made it a late-night staple.

The comedian filled the anchor chair a few months ago when he appeared as a reporter on “The Daily Show.” Although little known to American television audiences at the time, Noah already had considerable support outside the United States.

He quickly shaped the program around himself, charmingly guiding his audience through singular national experiences like the Trump presidency and the Covid-19 pandemic.

When Noah announced his departure from the show in late September, he hinted that his decision was inspired by his desire to operate from behind a desk.

“I spent two years in my apartment, not on the road, and when I came out again, I realized that there was another part of my life that I wanted to continue to explore. I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and performing,” Noah said.

The comedian is taking a short break before returning to the stage. He kicked off his “Trevor Noah: Off the Record” tour on January 20 in Atlanta.

When the show returns on Tuesday, January 17, the network announced A line of comedy greats Chelsea Handler, D.L. Hughley, Leslie Jones, Hassan Minhaj, Cal Penn and Wanda Sykes will fill in as the host.

But the show’s long-term future remains unclear, as the network has yet to say whether the guest hosts will rotate indefinitely or if a permanent host will be installed in the chair.