John Oliver Exiting The Daily Show to Headline His Own Comedy Series for HBO

"I'd like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it's entirely his fault," Oliver said in a statement

The British are leaving!

John Oliver is set to exit Comedy Central's The Daily Show after landing his own weekly comedy series at HBO, the longtime correspondent announced on Thursday. Oliver has worked alongside Jon Stewart for almost eight years on the hit series.

"I'm incredibly excited to be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now. I want to thank Comedy Central, and everyone at ‘The Daily Show' for the best seven and a half years of my life," Oliver said in a statement. "But most of all, I'd like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it's entirely his fault."

Oliver's HBO project will be a topical weekly comedy series that will debut in 2014; taking a satirical look at current news and politics, it will air Sunday nights.

HBO president Michael Lombardo said, "We weren't otherwise searching for another weekly talk show, but when we saw John Oliver handling host duties on The Daily Show, we knew that his singular perspective and distinct voice belonged on HBO."

News of Oliver landing his own show shouldn't come as much a shock after his success filling in for Stewart at The Daily Show when the host took the summer off to direct his first film.

Oliver isn't the comedy series' first correspondent to branch out: Stephen Colbert went on to helm The Colbert Report (with Stewart producing) for Comedy Central in 2005 after seven years on The Daily Show.