Talk about a promotion for Trevor Noah!
Trevor Noah on September 11, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa (Getty)
After only just three appearances on the Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” the newcomer has been named as Jon Stewart’s successor, less than two months after Stewart announced he was stepping down.
The comedian, who is currently in Dubai on a comedy tour, spoke to The New York Times about his new gig.
READ: Jon Stewart To Exit ‘The Daily Show’ ‘Later This Year’
“You don’t believe it for the first few hours,” he said of finding out about his new job. “You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol.”
Stewart, who has hosted the show for 16 years, released a statement about his successor.
“I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor,” he said. “He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with.” The comedian-turned-director added that he “may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!!!”
WATCH: Emmys Flashback With Jon Stewart
The new host celebrated the outgoing Stewart on Twitter.
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
Noah, who is originally from South Africa, told the NYT that he’s ready for the backlash surrounding his new job.
“We live in a world where some people still say Beyonce can’t sing,” he said. “Clearly I’m not immune to that.”
And Stewart has given Noah some advice about taking over the job.
“He told me, ‘I was where you were when I took over the show,'” Noah said. “‘Nobody knew me. I was just starting out, finding my voice, and that’s when I was handed this seat.’ Now, it’s my turn to steer the ship.”
— Jesse Spero
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