The search for Jon Stewart's replacement on The Daily Show is over! When Stewart steps away from the Daily Show anchor desk later this year, he will be replaced by relative newcomer Trevor Noah. The South African comedian is just four months into his tenure as The Daily Show's Senior International Correspondent, but quickly made an impression as one of the programme's rising stars.
31-year-old Noah began his career in South Africa on soap operas, before working as a DJ for Johannesburg's top urban radio station Yfm. After working with comedy headliners Gabriel Iglesias and Russell Peters on stage, Noah ventured outside of his home country with frequent media appearances in both the UK and the US. It wasn't long before Noah landed a job on Comedy Central's long-running, influential and satirical news series The Daily Show.
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As Noah prepares to take over the cable channel's flagship programme, we take a look at six notable television appearances from the comedian below:
1. South African success
Noah gave up his rising reputation on the radio to focus on his stand-up act full time several years ago. His charismatic stage presence and quick wit earned him significant notoriety in the country, landing him his own primetime television series on subscription channel MNet. At the same time, Noah was performing regularly with international comedy superstars when they toured South Africa. His stage act included satire about prominent aspects of South African culture – from questions of identity to the failures of the South Africa national football team (nicknamed Bafana).
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2. Coming to the UK
Noah soon started splitting his time between South Africa, the US and the UK. A big break came when he was featured in extended segment on Live at the Apollo, the famed comedy showcase shot at one of London's most iconic theatres. A highlight of Noah's set was his recollections about the complexities of growing up under the Apartheid government and everyday differences in coming to the UK. In the clip above, Noah pokes fun at the importance of traffic lights.
3. Enter the panel show
Noah's time in the UK was also notable for several appearances on panel shows. While not exactly analogous with his future work on The Daily Show, Noah nonetheless exhibited an undeniable charm that lent itself to panel shows like QI. In turn, QI allowed the comedian to introduce presenter Stephen Fry to the language of the famed Zulu tribe. "You've seduced me," Fry quips after hearing examples of the language, before quickly clarifying: "Not that you wanted to, I'm sure!"
4. A historic US debut
Noah's arrival in the US coincided with two major television milestones. He became the first South African comic to perform on The Tonight Show in 2012, and repeated the feat on rival CBS series The Late Show months later. Noah shared stories of the cultural confusion that he experienced as a stranger in a strange land on a trip to New York City, culminating in a truly outrageous punchline involving Hitler.
5. Political discussion
Perhaps the closest Trevor Noah has come to his future role as host of The Daily Show on US television was his interview with W Kamau Bell on the criminally-shortlived Totally Biased. In between performing bits of his stand-up act, Noah and Bell had a lively discussion about the cultural differences that exist between the US and Africa. This Totally Biased appearance stands as proof that Noah is an engaging conversationalist – which will be invaluable in mixing comedy and short-form interviews on The Daily Show.
6. Welcome to The Daily Show
Trevor made his debut on The Daily Show just before Christmas as the programme's Senior International Correspondent. His first appearance included a rousing game of Spot the Africa – with his first joke being a sharp criticism of alleged racial profiling among the NYPD. "I'm still a bit nervous to be honest – between your cops and your Ebola," Noah quipped. The comedian made a memorable first impression with viewers, setting him swiftly on a path to become the new face of The Daily Show.
What do you think about Trevor Noah taking over The Daily Show? Let us know in the comments section below:
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
