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. 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 many in the entertainment world praised the hiring decision, 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.”
