South African comedian Trevor Noah is to replace Jon Stewart as the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, a popular late night satirical current events programme and talk show. According to the New York Times, Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless said in an interview, “We talked to women. We talked to men. We found in Trevor the best person for the job.You don’t hope to find the next Jon Stewart – there is no next Jon Stewart. So, our goal was to find someone who brings something really exciting and new and different.’
Noah has performed his stand-up comedy, which is based on his experience as a South African in the US, on the show on three previous occasions. Noah tweeted, “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!’
Stewart, who has hosted the show for 16 years, announced he would be leaving The Daily Show last month. Comedy Central has not confirmed when Noah will be taking over from him, only that it will happen later in 2015. He remarked, “I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor. He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with…In fact, I may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!!”
Speaking on behalf of Comedy Central, Africa, Evert van der Veer said, “When you hear that a South African comedian is going replace Jon Stewart as the host of the most trusted satirical comedy show in the world, you know it’s a great day for Trevor Noah and an extraordinary milestone for African comedy. Supporting African comedians and comedy has been one of the key tenets of Comedy Central Africa since we started, and we salute Trevor’s achievement with pride in our hearts and a tear in our eye.’
