Trevor
Noah, the 38-year-old South African comedian who hosts of The Daily Show, has
decided to quit the programme, in a move that came as a surprise to audiences.
Noah’s departure from The Daily Show means Comedy Central will have to find a
replacement soon as the show producers have decided to soldier on, according to
a New York Post report.

Also Read | Trevor Noah to leave The Daily Show after 7 years

Noah, who
was hardly well-known as a comedian when he succeeded Jon Stewart, as the host
of The Daily Show has spent seven years hosting the programme. During this
period, the show’s tone and tenor has undergone serious transformation. It was while
Trevor Noah was hosting the show that American comedy got another superstar –
Hasan Minhaj, featured on Noah’s show on occasion.

Trevor Noah
announced his decision to move on from the show after seven years to his studio
audience. “We have laughed together; we have cried together. But after seven
years, I feel like it’s time,” Noah, whose comedy often features a great deal
of mimicry and accents said.

But Noah’s announcement
that he is leaving the show immediately triggered speculation on social media
about the potential reasons for the development. A Twitter user wrote: “Anyone
who thinks Trevor Noah was anything but fired for low ratings is an idiot.”

So, was
Trevor Noah fired?

An answer
to this question is yet to emerge. A Comedy Central spokesperson told New York
Post that the channel is grateful to Noah for the “amazing partnership over the
past seven years.”

In these
seven years, however, The Daily Show has seen a near-consistent dip in ratings.
At the peak of the show, back in 2013 when Jon Stewart was at the helm, The
Daily Show had averaged 2.5 million viewers every night. With Noah in control,
average viewership tapered of north of 800,000.

There were
few exceptions such as the 2016 elections.

Of late,
the ratings are said to have taken a dip, media reports indicate. Social media
figures, which were not independently verified by this publication, peg recent
numbers around 400,000.

Also Read | How a Dua Lipa dating rumour turned One Kiss into a Liverpool chant

Asked when
Noah was departing, the Comedy Central spokesperson told New York Post: “With
no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps. As wee
look ahead, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of ‘The
Daily Show’ as it continues to redefine culture through sharp and hilarious
social commentary, helping audiences make sense of the world around them.”

Trevor Noah
took over The Daily Show from Jon Stewart on September 28, 2015. Jon Stewart
had taken over the show from Craig Kilborn in 1999. Stewart helmed The Daily
Show for 16 years.