by Thinus Ferreira
The South African stand-up comedian Trevor Noah (38) who will be back in the country in December after stepping away from his 7-year run as host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central is explaining his shocking decision in his own words for the first time, saying he didn't want to wait until people got tired of him and said something like they're glad "that dick is out of the building".
In a new cover story for The Hollywood Reporter, it becomes clear that Trevor Noah told nobody that he was going to announce his exit from The Daily Show desk on 29 September this year to gasps from the in-studio audience.
Jen Flanz, The Daily Show showrunner was sitting at the producers' desk when Trevor Noah made his shocking announcement. She turned to Zhubin Parang, supervising producer and show writer and said: "What is he doing?" She asked: "Did you know?" with Zhubin Parang who replied with, "Does it look like I knew?".
In the interview, Trevor Noah explains that "Part of the reason I did it that way is because I didn't want anybody to be the person who then tells somebody else, who then tells somebody else, who then tells somebody else".
The final episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah will be on Comedy Central (DStv 122) on 8 December.
In the article, Trevor Noah mentions that he is selling his New York apartment which is currently on the market for $12.95 million and that he doesn't know if he will buy another property again in New York.
He explains that his decision to leave was motivated by a feeling of exiting while people still want you and like you: "I'd rather people be sad than people be happy, like 'Good riddance, that dick is out of the building".
Trevor Noah says "I wish someone had told me what a grind it was. You're also running the show, so everything from HR to designing the set, you're a part of, and it doesn't stop when you leave the building. There's no moment when breaking news happens where I go, 'Oh, wow, I don't care.' No, I have to care; being informed is part of my job".
