Vinny Guadagnino was known for always bringing the humor to those unforgettable Jersey Shore summers — and nearly seven years after the world first met the Staten Island’s mama’s boy, he is coming home to MTV!

The erstwhile Show With Vinny host will appear on the upcoming season of Joking Off — and you can catch his debut THIS Thursday. In honor of his triumphant reappearance on the network that launched him into the spotlight, MTV News asked him about his new small-screen endeavor and what it means to return to his roots.

“Comedy and acting have always been my passion,” the 28-year-old revealed. “During Jersey Shore, I always pursued improv and sketch classes behind the scenes. After going through the audition process for Joking Off and working on the show, I can say that it is the perfect introduction of me into the comedy world.

“MTV is an amazing network for me to make this breakthrough because I’m already part of the family! It was incredible to be part of the pop culture phenomenon of Jersey Shore, but waking up to go the Joking Off studio, writing jokes, riffing with other great comics and performing comedy on a big stage is a dream come true. I hope this leads to other things in the comedy world so that my fans can see a lot more of me!”

Good to have you back, Vin! Be sure to catch him on Joking Off, airing every Thursday at 10:30/9:30c on MTV! And for an added bonus, catch a glimpse of him in action in the sneak peek clip below!