Stepping into the shoes of a giant is never easy. Even more so when you’re the unknown quantity, when you straddle two very different worlds.

When Jon Stewart announced he was retiring from The Daily Show, pundits expected the likes of Chris Rock or Amy Schumer to take over the chair. But then came the shock announcement that Trevor Noah had gotten the nod. Trevor who?

Trevor Noah — a boy born of an illegal love. A boy raised in the townships of Soweto, a world devoid of stand-up comedy. A boy who shared a room with six others. A boy who accidentally stumbled onto set and got his first television role, playing a gangster. A boy who has performed sell out shows around the world. A South African boy who is now disrupting the American comedy status quo.

The surprise announcement of Trevor’s new job was met with equal measures of delight and scepticism. As Jeremy Loops posted on Facebook:

“Tonight Trevor Noah takes up the hot seat on The Daily Show. I’ve casually watched his remarkable ascent for many years, but as news spread that he would take over from Jon Stewart, my interest hit overdrive because I knew what was coming: backlash. I’ve watched and read, with quiet fascination, South Africans who feared he would blow his chance — and, with it, ‘the nation’s reputation’ — as well as online detractors from abroad who said he didn’t deserve the job because he hadn’t paid his dues, which, in this case, really just translated to ‘he isn’t American enough.”

There’s those haters again!

Rather than take it personally, Trevor took it all in his stride telling The New York Times:

“If you introduce a new organ into the body, there’s a good chance the body will reject it. I don’t care who they announced — there’s very few people who they would have said are taking over from Jon Stewart where I would have gone, “Good choice.” When something is good and you have to change, the visceral response in you is, “No.””

Because that’s just it. Jealousy means that the best aren’t always lauded with the praise they deserve. And change isn’t always received with welcome arms, even when that change precipitates something amazing — like finding out you can’t sail off the edge of the world.

And it’s the world that Trevor Noah will bring to The Daily Show. Whilst Jon Stewart (one of this generation’s greatest satirists) did discuss foreign policy, it’s Noah’s aim to try to broaden the horizons of the largely US angled show.” If you’ve ever watched a beauty pageant you’ll recognise this as Trevor’s greatest gift to the American audience.

The changes don’t end there. The Daily Show are also embracing the power of social selling, noting a shift in how audiences consume news. At a New York press conference, Trevor stated:

“We’re trying to find a way to get into those spaces in an authentic way and not just trying to chop up the Daily Show. We acknowledge that Snapchat is a thing, and so we will treat it accordingly and we’ll do that for every source that we feel merits that.”

Not just funny, but innovative too.

Being on the side of the “eventerprising” we at Eventerprise are fully behind Trevor Noah in his quest to disrupt the American comedy status quo. We love how he’s overcome early adversity to set himself up as the best. We love that he’s not afraid of change, even when it attracts the doubters. In truth, he’s the embodiment of everything we’re trying to achieve in the events industry… he’s just a darn site cuter than us!

So good luck Trevor from all of us on the E Team. Not that you need it. Early reports from the States suggest you rocked it on The Daily Show last night.

Can’t wait for 9pm — here’s a sneak peek: