Excitement mounting for daily dose of Trevor Noah

JOHANNESBURG: If you want to get a flavour of Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show, just take a look at his first guests – especially singer Ryan Adams.

Not only is Adams an alternative musician, poet and painter, but he’s also just released an innovative cover version of Taylor Swift’s best-selling album 1989.

“He has taken something that was loved and cherished by many and created a new version of it for himself. And people have gone ‘Wow! That is actually amazing’,” Noah told reporters.

That’s just what the 31-year-old South African-born comedian hopes to do with The Daily Show as he steps, tonight, into the role vacated in August after 16 years by popular comedian Jon Stewart.

Noah infiltrated the US comedy scene in 2011 and although he remains largely unknown to most Americans, South Africans are rallying behind him and excited before his debut.

The hashtag #Trevorday trended on Twitter yesterday as people tweeted their words of encouragement.

The Head of Comedy Central, Evert van der Veer, is also rallying behind Noah and has opened up the channel for free to every DStv subscriber to show his support.

Van der Veer said he couldn’t wait to watch Noah’s first episode.

“I am looking forward to the moment the titles first roll and he makes his opening monologue. I am also keen to see his interview with Kevin Hart, and how he interacts with the correspondents.”

Noah admitted he knows the pressure is on, but plans to take things slowly, saying there will be changes in style rather than structure.

“I look at The Daily Show as a beautiful house I have inherited... I don’t plan to break anything initially,” he said.