The Daily Show Is Losing Its Best Correspondent

Trevor Noah's struggling Daily Show has been handed another setback.

The late-night comedy show's most popular correspondent, Jessica Williams, is leaving to develop a pilot for Comedy Central, Entertainment Weekly first reported. Her last show will be Thursday.

The network signed Williams to a development deal earlier this year, and the pilot was announced during Comedy Central's upfront presentation in March. She's leaving the Daily Show to focus on the as-yet-untitled project, which she's producing with Broad City writer Naomi Ekperigen.

Williams began at the Jon Stewart-hosted Daily Show in 2012 when she was just 22 years old. She was the youngest person and first black woman to be a correspondent on the show. She's the latest in a long line of Daily Show correspondents to get their own show, from Stephen Colbert to Samantha Bee. Hers will differ from most of her fellow alumni by being narrative rather than news-driven, however.

Williams departure is bittersweet for Noah. "The sadness I have for Jessica leaving is only eclipsed by the joy I have for her starting her new show," he said.