Trevor Noah to take over for Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show"
"The Daily Show" has a new host.
Comedy Central announced Monday morning that Trevor Noah will take over for Jon Stewart on the hit series.
"Trevor Noah is an enormous talent," said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central president. "He has an insightful and unique point of view and, most importantly, is wickedly funny. 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."
A 31-year-old comedian from South Africa, Noah started as a contributor to "The Daily Show" in December. He starred in the South African soap opera "Isidingo" in 2002 at the age of 18 and went on to host several radio and television shows in South Africa, including a two-year stint as a late-night TV host of "Tonight with Trevor Noah."
Noah made his American TV debut on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman -- making him the first standup comic from South Africa to appear on either late-night show.
His Showtime comedy special, "Trevor Noah: African American" premiered in 2013. Through the years, he's toured the world, performing sold-out shows at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Last year, Noah received a nomination for personality of the year at the MTV Africa Music Awards.
Noah took to Twitter about the big news on Monday:
No-one can replace Jon Stewart. But together with the amazing team at The Daily Show, we will continue to make this the best damn news show!
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 30, 2015
Stewart, who was at the helm of "The Daily Show" for 16 years, announced in February that he would be stepping down from the spot. Since Stewart's start at the anchor desk, the show has won 19 Emmys and attracts about a million viewers each night.
"He told me, 'I was where you were when I took over the show,'" Noah told The New York Times about Stewart. "'Nobody knew me. I was just starting out, finding my voice, and that's when I was handed this seat.'"
Stewart gave his endorsement on Monday, saying, "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 part of it."
Tell us: What do you think about Comedy Central's pick?