The torch has been passed.
The much anticipated news of just who will replace Jon Stewart has arrived. It’s 31-year-old Trevor Noah, according to a report in the NYT Monday morning. The switch happens later this year, but no precise date has been announced.
Stewart definitely played a role in choosing him.
Noah has appeared on “The Daily Show” just three times.
In an interview from Dubai, where he’s on a comedy tour, he told the NYT that upon hearing the news, he wanted a drink.
“You don’t believe it for the first few hours,” he said. “You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol.”
Stewart said he’s “thrilled” for Noah.
So far, online reports indicate that the new host’s only eyebrow-raising act has been making a crack about an infamous South African named Oscar Pistorius after he was arrested for killing his model girlfriend. “And the Oscar goes to – jail,” Noah tweeted. (Some people apparently found this offensive. Hopefully this means that Noah won’t care too much what stupid people think of him.)
The NYT said the news “invites questions” about why a woman wasn’t chosen.
Comedy Central’s President Michele Ganeless said the decision wasn’t about gender. Instead, they found the “best person” for the job after talking to both men and women.