Trevor Noah
#TrevorNoah tweets are taking over Twitter timelines across the globe following the announcement that the South African comedian has been named as the new host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.
Noah joined the Emmy award-winning satirical news show in December last year as a contributor.
Outgoing host Jon Stewart resigned in February this year and will step down when his contract expires in September. His debut film Rosewater about journalist Maziar Bahari who, while covering the Iranian elections in 2009, was imprisoned for 118 days by the Ahmadinejad regime, was released to South African audiences on Friday March 27. Read the review here.
In a press statement released by the network, Jon Stewart said: “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’s meteoric rise in comedy has been littered with sprinkles of criticism as well resounding rounds of applause.
In 2010, he faced a number of allegations on social media accusing him of stealing jokes from fellow comedians. His response was: “Why would I need to steal and when did I start? How can I be accused of stealing when I perform jokes on my life and who I am?”
In August 2013, one particular tweet left a few South Africans uneasy when he referred to runner Caster Semenya. “Happy Women’s Day ladies. Hope you all have a great day. Even you Caster”.
His interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012 (and then later The Late Show with David Letterman Show in 2013) made him the first South African comedian to appear on an American late night talkshow.
Sitcom
In November 2013, SAPA reported that he had landed his own sitcom produced by Overbrook entertainment – a company co-owned by Hollywood celebrity couple Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith.
He has been profiled by Rolling Stone, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek among other respected titles and channels.
In an interview with the New York Times, Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless said that after an extensive search, the network decided Noah was “the best person for the job.”
‘Really exciting and new and different’
“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,” she said.
Here are some of your reactions to the announcement so far: