Following reports Monday morning, Comedy Central officially announced that Trevor Noah will succeed Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show.
The little-known 31-year-old South African comedian will take over for Stewart later this year; Comedy Central will announce exactly when at a later date.
“Trevor Noah is an enormous talent. He has an insightful and unique point of view, and most importantly, is wickedly funny,” said Comedy Central president Michele 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.”
Noah, 31, has only made three appearances on the show, having first debuted in December. Noah made his U.S. television debut in 2012 on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and also appeared on CBS's Late ShowWith David Letterman. Noah has hosted numerous television shows including his own late night talk show in South Africa, Tonight With Trevor Noah.
“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,” Noah said. “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.”
Other potential successors to Stewart included Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, but each is bound for their own project with TBS. Jessica Williams, another young correspondent, had also pulled herself out of the running.
