After quitting The Daily Show earlier this month, longtime correspondent Roy Wood Jr. says there’s still a chance he could return to the series as host.
On Monday, the comic appeared on Sherri to discuss his departure from the Comedy Central late-night show after eight years.
Host Sherri Shepherd asked about his decision to leave the program, despite being a fan favorite to become the next host following Trevor Noah’s departure in December 2022.
Related: Roy Wood Jr. Exits ‘The Daily Show’ as Host Search Drags On
“I’m really upset because everybody was rooting for you to take over as the host of The Daily Show,” Shepherd said. “We wanted you to have this job. What happened?”
“Well, number one, it still could happen,” said Wood Jr., who recently served as fill-in host on the show.
He added, “I was shocked at the decision myself, because number one, we were in a strike. Who do you know come[s] off strike and then quits the job?”
However, Wood Jr. went on to explain that he needed some time for himself while Comedy Central continues their search for the next host.
“As you start looking at the lay of the land of late night and television as a whole, that’s going to be a long process figuring out who is going to be in that chair and I respect that process,” Wood Jr. explained. “But while you got your process, I need to have my process. So I’m going to be over here making sure all my ducks are in a row as well.”
The comic added that being a correspondent on The Daily Show was “not easy” all the time. “It’s not like hard labor, but it is a mentally stressful job.”
In the meantime, Wood Jr. told Shepherd he hopes to “have space to figure out what’s next for myself in case I’m not in that chair come January… That’s just what it is and it’s nothing personal. This is the first job I ever quit where I got to clean out my office.”
As Comedy Central’s search for a new host goes on, the show continues to have different guest hosts each week. Recent hosts include Leslie Jones, Desus Nice, Sarah Silverman and Charlamagne tha God.
A permanent host for The Daily Show is expected to be announced in 2024.
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
