Comedy Central has announced that comic Trevor Noah will take over from Jon Stewart as the host of The Daily Show. No word yet on when the transition will occur.
Here’s the press release:
COMEDY CENTRAL® NAMES TREVOR NOAH AS NEXT HOST OF “THE DAILY SHOW”
31 Year-Old Comedian to Take the Helm Later This Year
NEW YORK, March 30, 2015 – Trevor Noah has been selected to become the next host of the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning “The Daily Show,” it was announced today by Michele Ganeless, president, Comedy Central. His show’s premiere will be announced at a later date.
Noah (www.trevornoah.com) joined “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” in 2014 as a contributor. He made his U.S. television debut in 2012 on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and has also appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman,” becoming the first South African stand-up comedian to appear on either late night show. Born in South Africa to a black South African mother and a white European father, he has successfully become the top comedian in Africa. Noah has hosted numerous television shows including his own late night talk show in his native country, “Tonight with Trevor Noah.”
“Trevor Noah is an enormous talent. He has an insightful and unique point of view, and most importantly, is wickedly funny,” said Ganeless. “For the next host of ‘The Daily Show,’ we set out to find a fresh voice who can speak to our audience with a keen take on the events of the day, and we found that in Trevor. He has a huge international following and is poised to explode here in America, and we are thrilled to have him join Comedy Central.”
“It’s an honor to follow Jon Stewart. He and the team at ‘The Daily Show’ have created an incredible show whose impact is felt all over the world,” said Noah. “In my brief time with the show they’ve made me feel so welcome. I’m excited to get started and work with such a fantastic group of people.”
Said Jon Stewart: “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!!!”
Noah was the subject of David Paul Meyer’s award-winning documentary film “You Laugh But It’s True” which tells the story of his remarkable career in post-apartheid South Africa. Noah’s one-man show “The Racist” at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe was a sold out run that became one of the most talked about shows at the Festival that year. Recently, Noah performed for the Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance.
Noah (@TrevorNoah) was featured on the October 2014 cover of GQ South Africa and has been profiled in Rolling Stone, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal, and by CNN and NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” among others. He continues to tour all over the world and has performed in front of sold out crowds at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Noah is represented by LEG, CAA, and Morris Yorn.
I disagree with the others here. Mr. Noah has been on the show a handful of times and always fails to garner more than a smattering of polite laughs. They have several writers on that show who are whip smart. I have heard them interviewed on radio programs before. How about one of them?
Good choice. Hate to see Jon leave . I hope he will show up as a correspondent during 2016 Presidential hoopla!!!
He might, but it sounds like he’s planning to do stand up for a while again.
The Daily Show is going to be pretty close to completely made over. Almost everyone leaving with John
I just watched a couple clips from an article about this in USA Today. I think it’s a good choice. He’s young, smart, and articulate. I expect some changes, but I hope they don’t go too far off the current format