The ultra-talented, hilarious, and super smart Jessica Williams is officially leaving The Daily Show for her very own show on Comedy Central, according to an exclusive provided to Entertainment Weekly. The 26-year-old Williams has been a fan favorite on the show since she joined as a correspondent four years ago, and her next project promises to bring everything fans love about Williams to one show.
Only 22 when she joined The Daily Show in 2012, Williams was the youngest person to ever join the cast. She told Entertainment Weekly she is "growing up and graduating" with the move to her own show.
The transition to her own show comes a little more than a year after Williams announced (to the disappointment of many) that she would not be taking over for Jon Stewart when he left the show in 2015.
We see her as a great voice, she’s so dynamic and so funny. And she’s kind of grown up there at The Daily Show. Rather than say goodbye to her for her to go somewhere else, we want to make sure that we’re developing with her so that when she’s ready for her next platform, it can actually be with us.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the new show will be scripted, and Williams will not only star in the show, but write and produce it as well. Williams described the show as being about "[S]omeone in their 20s who has all these social ideas but still, like, does not have it together. And she’s goofy and silly and funny!"
Williams' exit from The Daily Show is certainly a blow for the long-running late night political satire show, but the show's host, Trevor Noah, only had positive things to say to Entertainment Weekly about Williams' new venture. He told EW, "The sadness I have for Jessica leaving is only eclipsed by the joy I have for her starting her new show."
Comedy Central certainly is happy to be keeping Williams in their network. Comedy Central president Kent Alterman told Entertainment Weekly,
The network also tweeted out an official statement, saying how excited it is to continue working with Williams:
According to Entertainment Weekly, Thursday will mark Williams' final episode with The Daily Show.
A representative for Jessica Williams did not immediately reply to Complex's request for comment.
