Trevor Noah, a South African comedian little known to US audiences, will replace Jon Stewart as the host of the ‘The Daily Show.’
The Viacom Inc-owned network said it selected Noah, 31, because he is an “enormous talent” and “wickedly funny.”
Hailing from the township of Soweto, Noah joined ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ as a contributor in late 2014.
He said it was an honour to step into Stewart’s shoes.
He and the team at ‘The Daily Show’ have created an incredible show whose impact is felt over the world. I’m excited to get started and work with such a fantastic group of people.
— Trevor Noah, Comedian
South Africans celebrated Noah‘s big step up. They believe he will change people’s perceptions of their country, which is still grappling with the legacy of apartheid-era human rights abuses.
Over the years, Mr Noah has proved that laughter is the best medicine and has helped our country and its people to find healing through laughing at themselves
— Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Arts and Culture, South Africa
In one of his stand-up routines, he talked about learning to be black in America, only to be misidentified as a Mexican once he arrived.
South African ventriloquist Conrad Koch said it was a huge breakthrough for a comedian from the African country to make it on the international stage. “It portrays South Africans as forward thinking, intelligent, progressive and in touch with the world,” he said.
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