10 facts about new Daily Show host
South African comedian Noah will replace outgoing Stewart
On Monday, Comedy Central named 31- year- old comedian Trevor Noah the new host of The Daily Show after Jon Stewart steps down from the post. While an exact timetable for Stewart’s departure and Noah’s debut have not yet been announced, it’s never too soon to get familiar with late night’s newest star. Here are 10 key facts about Trevor Noah:
1.
He’s already appeared on The Daily Show
Noah made his Daily Show debut in late 2014 in a segment called “Spot the Africa,” a satirical segment comparing socioeconomic progress in the U. S. versus the same in several African countries.
2.
He’s got Stewart’s endorsement In a statement after Comedy Central’s early morning announcement, Stewart called Noah a “tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with.” Stewart said he “may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!”
3.
His upbringing was political ... Noah was born in Soweto, South Africa, to a black mother and white father a decade before the end of apartheid. Because his parents’ relationship was illegal at the time of his birth, his mother was jailed and fined by the South African government. This biographical detail alone has lent his comedy a sharp political edge, and he often pokes fun at the political underpinnings of his own upbringing. In one joke ( which he delivered on The Tonight Show in 2012 in what is widely seen as his breakthrough U. S. performance — and in what was the first performance on that show by a South African comic), he explains that his mother used to walk ahead of him on the street in the presence of police, pretending she didn’t know he was there. “I felt like a bag of weed,” he says.
4.
... so his comedy has always been, too
As a South African, Noah’s political humour has mostly focused on lambasting South African politicians. A favourite bit sees him impersonating South African President Jacob Zuma as he scrolls through Facebook, trying to friend U. S. President Barack Obama.
5.
He’s a relative youngster At 31 years old, Noah is six years younger than Stewart was when he took over The Daily Show, and 10 years younger than Stephen Colbert was when The Colbert Report debuted in 2005.
6.
He still lives in South Africa ( though that will change soon)
“I’ve always said I want to be a comedian from South Africa in the world,” Noah told Interview magazine in 2013. “I will stay in places for a bit here and there and pop into New York for a while, maybe stay in London for a year, but my home will always be South Africa. I enjoy it too much.” 7. He speaks six languages And he recently picked up German to better communicate with his father, who is of Swiss- German descent. Even here, there was comedy: “I found out I ( sounded) distinctly Hitler- ish,” Noah said in 2013, “and that’s something that I’ve had to learn to change over time.”
8.
He has courted corporate controversy
Sort of. After Noah’s Twitter rant about Cell C, a South African cell service provider, the company took out a full- page advertisement in The Sunday Times to apologize.
9.
He has a lengthy CV While it might not translate in North America, Noah’s accomplishments at home are legion: He has appeared on numerous reality programs and hosted several radio shows. He’s also had success in the U. K., appearing as a comedy panellist on the BBC show QI and the Channel 4 game show 8 Out of 10 Cats. There’s a Canadian connection, as well: Noah opened for homegrown comic Russell Peters in 2008.
10.
If that’s not enough, catch him on Netflix
Noah’s latest comedy special Trevor Noah: African American is currently available on the streaming service. It’s hilarious, and is probably the best way to get acquainted with the talented star and future Daily Show host.