The Daily Show correspondents eyed as potential successors after Trevor Noah’s surprise exit

Rest easy, political comedy fans, The Daily Show existed before Trevor Noah (led by Craig Kilborn and, more notably, John Stewart) and it will continue to exist without him. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the series will not only continue but remain on Comedy Central rather than switching to Paramount+.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the network told the outlet, “In time, we will turn to the next chapter of The Daily Show and all of our incredible correspondents will be at the top of that list. Until then, we are focused on celebrating Trevor and thanking him for his many contributions.”

One of those contributions, apparently, is shocking the hell out of Comedy Central by announcing his departure last Thursday, according to THR sources. Noah had reportedly extended his option to stick with the show for at least two if not three years. (He’d even supposedly had lunch with Paramount exec Chris McCarthy the day previous and made no mention of his impending announcement, sources say.) As such, the network is now scrambling to nail down his exit before making any decisions about a new host.

Now, take this next bit with a grain of salt, but Comedy Central sources have allegedly told TMZ that Roy Wood Jr. is a heavy favorite to replace Noah right now. Not only is he one of the most prominent correspondents, but the outlet claims his contract is coming up for renewal and network execs are eager to keep him with the network. Apparently, the higher-ups have communicated that they “want to meet with him to discuss his future… but he’s NOT been personally told he’s even a candidate to replace Trevor.”

So it’s still anyone’s game–and per TMZ, “there’s talk the next host could well be a woman.” (How radical!) Other Daily Show correspondents include Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, and Dulcé Sloan, and any one of them could be the next Daily Show host. Start placing your bets now!