The 31-year-old South African comedian will fill Stewart’s shoes on Comedy Central’s satirical news program later this year

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The South African comedian Trevor Noah has been announced as replacement for Jon Stewart as host of one of America’s most celebrated satirical news shows – The Daily Show.

Can Trevor Noah fill Jon Stewart's big shoes for 'Indecision 2016'? Read more

The surprise choice of the 31-year-old ends weeks of speculation about his possible successor.

Stewart, 52, announced his departure on 10 February in an emotional address at the end of an episode, saying his 16-year run in the hotseat was enough.

Noah inherits the task of leading the show’s award-winning presidential election coverage in the lengthy walkup to the 2016 race.

The son of a black South African mother and white European father, Noah made his debut on “The Daily Show” last December with a segment that poked fun at cliched American images of Africa, where he lived as child.

With a reference to the “hands up” gesture that was a symbol of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, where a police officer shot an unarmed black man in August 2014, Noah said: “I never thought I’d be more afraid of police here than in South Africa. It kind of made me nostalgic for the old days back home.”

He played a game of “Spot the Africa”, contrasting a picture of a gleaming new central African superhighway with a pothole-filled picture of New York’s FDR drive he took from his cab ride into Manhattan.

Noah, who has appeared on Jay Leno and David Letterman, was the subject of a 2011 documentary film by David Paul Meyer, You Laugh But It’s True, which followed his career in post-apartheid South Africa.

He will join Larry Wilmore, a writer-comedian who replaced Stephen Colbert in January in the half-hour slot following The Daily Show. When Noah takes over, Comedy Central will have completely remade the one-hour comedy block that gave the network critical acclaim and, arguably, its identity.

In an interview, Noah likened himself to Stewart, his soon-to-be-predecessor, as a fellow progressive.

“Obviously where you’re from may inform a lot of your decisions. But traveling the world I learned that progressives, regardless of their locations, think in a global space,” he said by phone from Dubai, where he is on a comedy tour.

“Although I’m a guy who happens to be not from the same place that Jon’s from,” he added, “I’ve lived in America for years before I went back out on the road and I’ve learned to love the place.”

He dismissed the notion that he’ll be “taking over” the programme.

“I’m joining the team,” he said. “I get to be a part of that as the host and a face, sharing that space with my fellow correspondents.”

Noah’s selection means late-night US TV continues to be a male-dominated domain. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were among the comics cited in public polls as favorites for the new role, but there’s no indication they were interested or considered.

“We love women,” said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central president. “We talked to women and we talked to men, and we really think we found the best person for the job in Trevor.”

Ganeless called the selection of Noah – at the moment not a household name – not so much a risk as an opportunity.

“He was poised to explode here in this country over the next couple of years, and obviously this will accelerate that process,” she said. “But people won’t come to the show with preconceptions. They will get to discover him, and form their opinions of him, as they watch him host.”

Stewart has been a part of the cultural landscape with a bitingly comic look at the news and how it is covered in the media. He has not set a date for his exit from The Daily Show and, as a result, Comedy Central said nothing on Monday about when Noah would take over.

Stewart offered his endorsement on Monday.

“I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor,” he said. “He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with … In fact, I may rejoin as a correspondent just to be part of it.”

In South Africa, the announcement made breaking news on a national television news station. On social media, Noah’s name became a trending topic within minutes, with some Twitter users saying he not only represented South Africa, but also the African continent.

South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, congratulated Noah on his appointment.

“This is a big achievement not only for South Africa but the continent,” the party said in a statement.

“I’m sure he’ll turn it into his own thing,” said South African comedian Loyiso Gola, who now also hosts an International Emmy-nominated local news satire show. As comedy grew in South Africa after apartheid, Noah and his fellow comedians began selling out large venues, and soon began touring internationally.

“Out of a lot of guys I know in comedy, he probably works the hardest,” said Gola, adding that Noah had spent years honing his standup routine.

Noah used his biracial identity to challenge South Africa’s race issues, using personal anecdotes from his own life. Growing up biracial in the formerly segregated township of Soweto, Noah once said his birth was a crime.

South Africa’s idiosyncrasies, from party politics to the high crime rate, provided regular material.

“It’s good for everything South African and it’s good for comedy,” said Gola.

Speaking to the New York Times, Noah said of his appointment: “You don’t believe it for the first few hours. You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol.”



Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) No-one can replace Jon Stewart. But together with the amazing team at The Daily Show, we will continue to make this the best damn news show!

According to Comedy Central, Noah made his American television debut in 2012 as a contributor on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. Noah has hosted numerous television shows including his own late-night talkshow in South Africa, Tonight with Trevor Noah.

Noah, who is currently touring in the Middle East, immediately changed his Twitter photo to a picture of himself and Stewart, saying in his first tweet since news of the appointment broke: “No-one can replace Jon Stewart. But together with the amazing team at The Daily Show, we will continue to make this the best damn news show!”

American comedians seemed to approve of the replacement. Chris Rock shared his enthusiasm on Twitter.