Trevor Noah Has One Word for What's Next After 'Daily Show'

Trevor Noah has big plans for his time after officially ending his reign as host of The Daily Show. On Thursday, the 38-year-old expanded on his reasoning for leaving the famed Comedy Central late-night series during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and shared what lies ahead for him.

"I think everybody has gone through a period of looking at their lives -- every single person. We were in our apartments for two years, the world changed," Noah told the host when asked about his decision to leave. "We experienced collective grief. I think if you don't look at your life and think about what you'd like to do differently, then you haven't experienced what we've all experienced, and so I think [my departure] is a joyous thing."

The comedian announced he would be leaving as host on Sept. 29, and the network announced this week that his final episode will air on Dec. 8.

Noah shared his gratitude for the gig, which he held for seven years after taking over for Jon Stewart in 2015. He emphasized his decision to leave while he's still "good" and "loved."

"I don't take anything for granted anymore. I don't believe that life is a given. I don't assume that things will come to me," he added. "And so, I just go, 'This is it, this is the time.' And leave when people say, 'Why are you leaving?' Because imagine if it was the other way around? I go like, 'I'm leaving' and people are like, 'Yeah, yeah.'"

As for what the comedian plans to do next, he's going to keep it simple. "Everything," he responded gleefully. "I'm so excited to do everything."

"I didn't get to travel as much doing stand-up around the world. I'm excited," Noah explained. "I used to go to a country and I would be there for weeks on end, I would learn the parts of the language or learn about the culture, and I'd do a show based around that. I'm gonna get back to doing that."

The South African comedian also shared that he hopes to get to work behind the camera, "working on different ideas."

"Going back home, spending more time with family in South Africa. Everything, is what I'm going to be doing," he said, adding that he there's even a return to stand-up comedy in his future. Although he's "still nervous" to get back onstage, Noah said he's excited about returning to his roots.

"I'm going back to the small rooms again, because that's where you start the set," he noted.

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