Comedy Central names Trevor Noah as Jon Stewart's successor to ‘The Daily Show’

Trevor Noah, 31, would be the new host of The Daily Show, succeeding Jon Stewart after he steps down later this year according to Monday's announcement from Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless.

Noah, a biracial South African, is a relative a newcomer to American television. In fact, he has appeared for only a handful of times on The Daily Show since joining as a contributor three months ago. But, as told by Ganeless in an interview with Variety, he has "such a unique and powerful voice" and is "a gifted comedian and storyteller." She added: "He was not a new face to us, but he will be to a lot of people." Noah has hosted numerous television shows, including his own late-night talk show in his native country, Tonight With Trevor Noah. Ganeless said "the core of The Daily Show will not change" with Noah taking over Stewart's place. "It is still a Comedy Central take on the day's events," she maintained.

In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ganeless elaborated: "What The Daily Show does in late night is so different from any other late-night comedy show. Truly, no other show is doing the kind of political satire that The Daily Show does. So I think the audience that watches is looking for that. With a new host coming in, it's an opportunity to bring new attention to the show, and in a perfect world, gain more viewers."

In a talk with the New York Times, the Comedy Central president said: "We talked to women. We talked to men. We found in Trevor the best person for the job. You don't hope to find the next Jon Stewart - there is no next Jon Stewart. So, our goal was to find someone who brings something really exciting and new and different.... He [Noah] brings such a unique worldview and a deep understanding of human nature, which makes his comedy so insightful. He's truly a student of the world." 

Stewart who endorsed Noah as his replacement in a statement to the press said: "I'm thrilled for the show and for Trevor. He's a tremendous comic and talent that we've loved working with." He also added that he "may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!!!"