Florida A&M University alumnus Roy Wood Jr. has been on a roll lately. Wood is set to host CNN’s ‘Have I Got News for You’. This news comes a few weeks after the comedian announced that he is set to film his first comedy special with Hulu this coming September.
In 2001, Wood received his broadcast journalism degree from Florida A&M. While attending Florida A&M in 1998, he started his comedic career. Wood began his stand-up career opening for comedian Tommy Davidson. Wood is not only a comedian but also a writer and documentary producer, with an Emmy nomination. His most well-known role was as a correspondent for eight years on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show from 2015 to 2023. Wood has gone back to host The Daily Show several times since Trevor Noah’s departure. In addition, he has appeared in three Comedy Central stand-up specials. His acting accomplishments include Better Call Saul, Only Murders in the Building, and Fletch, where he featured opposite Jon Hamm.
Having been on the air since 1990, Have I Got News for You is a mainstay of the BBC. With a strong dose of comedy, two teams of panelists respond to questions regarding the news of the week. The BBC show’s producer, Hat Trick Productions, collaborated with CNN to develop an original version of the program, which was unveiled in May.
“For far too long, immigrants have been coming to America and taking Black jobs; kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States,” Wood said in a statement. “It is an honor to be a part of such a hallowed British institution to help make sense of the American institutions of chaos, name-calling, disinformation, reality television, and the 8-hour news cycle.”
In addition, two team leaders are featured on Have I Got News for You (Paul Merton and Ian Hislop on the BBC); CNN will reveal these individuals closer to the program’s debut date. A variety of politicians, comedians, and performers make up the panel on the British program.
The long-running BBC panel program will make its CNN debut on September 14.
