Roy Wood Jr. Elaborates On Decision To Leave The Daily Show Amid The 'Shifting Sands Of Late Night'

Hours after announcing via NPR his decision to walk away from The Daily Show after nearly a decade, Roy Wood Jr. is shedding new light on his next career chapter.

In a statement posted on his myriad social accounts (including Instagram), the actor/writer/standup comedian said, "After eight amazing years on The Daily Show, where I've been able to pursue my comedic and political curiosities with some of the best writers, producers, crew and correspondents anyone could hope for, l've made the decision to move on."

Wood Jr. went on to thank former Daily Show host Trevor Noah as well as "Paramount and especially Comedy Central for giving me the runway to also produce three one-hour standup specials, for letting me host two award winning podcasts, letting me write & shoot my own comedy pilot, write a film, and much, much more. I look forward to finding other ways to collaborate with them down the road.

"Until then," he concluded, "I am excited to nurture new ideas and see what the future holds for me in the shifting sands of late night television, scripted comedy, and whatever else the comedy gods may have in store for me in 2024 and beyond."

As the The Daily Show continues its search for a new host to replace Noah, Wood Jr. — who emerged as one of the odds-on favorites to take over as headliner — told NPR that it had become infeasible for him to remain as a correspondent while simultaneously planning the next step in his career.

"I can't come up with Plan B... while still working with Plan A," he 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."

Comedy Central's flagship late-night program is set to return with new episodes post-WGA strike on Monday, Oct. 16. Guest hosts will continue to fill the void left by Noah until a permanent successor is named in 2024.

"Roy Wood Jr. is a comedic genius and beloved teammate," a spokesperson for The Daily Show said in a statement. "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."