Comedian Roy Wood Jr. has decided not to return to Comedy Central’s “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 can’t 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 what’s next in his career since he wasn’t offered the position of host.
“I can’t come up with Plan B while still working with Plan A,” Wood said. “The job of correspondent ... it’s not really one where you can juggle multiple things. [And] I think eight years is a good run.”
HuffPost also reached out to Wood’s 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 Minhaj’s comedy routines were fabricated and embellished.
Wood told NPR that he wasn’t sure if he was ever considered. A representative of “The Daily Show” did not respond to HuffPost’s 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 you’re 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 Noah’s 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 Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” and ”Saturday Night Live.”
Drew Barrymore announced her daytime talk show’s 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.