‘Daily Show’ Sets Premiere for New Host Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah will begin his tenure as host of The Daily Show on September 28th, less than two months after longtime host Jon Stewart steps down from Comedy Central’s flagship fake news show, Variety reports.
A new promo clip finds Noah getting acclimated to his new digs. Though the set is still emblazoned with Stewart’s name, the future host sits down at the Daily Show desk and tries out a handful of introductions, from the tepid, “Welcome to The Daily Show,” to the authoritative, “I am The Daily Show!” Noah’s chance to really ease into his new chair, however, gets cut short when Stewart suddenly appears and, without a word, sends him scurrying off the set.
Noah, a 31-year-old biracial comic from South Africa, had only taped a handful of segments for The Daily Show when it was announced that he would be Stewart’s successor. While the hire garnered praise from many in the entertainment world, the new host quickly came under fire for a number of old tweets and jokes that some alleged were anti-semitic, racist and sexist.
Noah defended himself against the backlash, tweeting, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.” Comedy Central and Stewart also stuck up for the comedian, with Stewart calling Noah, “an incredibly thoughtful and considerate and funny and smart individual.”
Stewart announced he would be stepping down from The Daily Show after 17 years in February. He’s scheduled to tape his final episode on August 6th.