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Trevor Noah Details Why He Decided To Leave ‘The Daily Show’

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Leena Nasir Entertainment Reporter
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Trevor Noah stunned fans and executives of “The Daily Show” by announcing he was ending his 7-year reign on the show, and he recently opened up about why he walked away from hosting a show that reportedly paid him eight figures a year.

Noah had kept his impending departure a secret, and sent shockwaves when he revealed the news in September. “I’d rather people be sad than people be happy, like, ‘Good riddance, that d*ck is out of the building,'” Noah told The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in an interview published Monday.

He explained he wanted to exit the show on his own terms, before he felt his time had reached its expiry, according to THR.

“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,” Noah said to THR. Making reference to The Daily Show offices he added, “And this is where we create the thing. [The show] is where we’re together, our space, and so for me, it felt like the most natural way to tell everybody at the same time.”

Noah seemed to be at ease with his decision, and said leaving in a timely fashion was a natural transition for him, according to the outlet.

“Maybe this comes with not being raised in America, but I believe that everything should end,” Noah told the outlet. (RELATED: Make ‘The Daily Show’ Great Again: Our Top Picks To Replace Trevor Noah)

“A lot of American business and American media is just like, ‘Keep it going as long as possible,’ but I think it’s healthy for things to end when they’re still in a good place,” Noah continued in the interview.

He then hinted at the fact that he has a bigger plan — one that doesn’t seem to include being strapped to the demanding schedule involved in hosting a late night talk show.

“I want to leave before I’m burnt out, because there are many other things I’d like to do,” he told THR.

As for the comedian’s next steps, the 38-year-old has expressed a desire to travel more and to tour more, according to THR.