Gogo showed Noah ‘truest definition of unconditional love’
Trevor Noah has paid tribute to his grandmother who died this week.
The comedian and The Daily Show host made the announcement on his Instagram on Thursday, sharing a video of his gogo, Frances Noah, during their last interactions.
In the video, you can see the pair trading jokes, smiling and laughing throughout the short clip. His tribute read: “How can I smile for a photo when I don’t have teeth?”
“This morning our family laid to rest the oldest member of our clan, Frances Noah, or as most of us referred to her, gogo.
“My grandmother was born in 1927 and even though she was 95years-old, she still had the best memory of us all. Every moment spent with her felt like a magical journey through time where she would recount all of the family’s greatest joys, losses, achievements and milestones.
“Her house in Soweto wasn’t just a home, it was a refuge, a place where other women would come when they had no other place to go, a place where members of the community would gather to pray together every single week, a place where everyone was guaranteed to feel the love emanating from her mighty chest.”
The comedian refers to his grandmother frequently in his stand-up shows and acknowledged people across the world have grown fond of her. He interviewed his grandmother in 2018 for a segment on The Daily Show.
They talked at her home in Soweto about apartheid, his childhood and his rocket rise to fame.
“I know many of you grew to love gogo from afar and I thank you for the condolences and the blessings you’ve sent in her memory. I’ve cried all week celebrating the greatest ‘movie’ I’ve ever watched. A story that began with my first breath and ended with her last. A woman who showed me the truest definition of unconditional love.
“She passed away peacefully in her sleep and even blessed us with one final Mother’s Day which she enjoyed to the fullest. Hamba kahle gogo.”
Two weeks ago, Noah had a milestone moment in his career, becoming the first African to host the White House Correspondents’ dinner.
Noah poked fun at Trump, President Joe Biden, politicians, the press and joked about the Oscar’s slap and Covid. He said he was aware that his jokes might land him in trouble.
“It is risky making jokes these days. I mean, we all saw what happened at the Oscars. I’ve actually been a little worried about tonight.
“What if I make a really mean joke about Kellyanne Conway… and then her husband rushes up on the stage and thanks me?” he joked.