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Profile: Trevor Noah

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04/04/2015

Trevor Noah

BBC Radio 4 - Profile, Trevor Noah

The South African comedian set to take over from Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show.

This week Comedy Central announced that South African comedian Trevor Noah is to take over from Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show.

It was a surprise to many that a relative unknown was set to take on one of America's leading talk shows, but Noah's star has been rising fast in recent years.

Already a well-known face on British TV and radio, thanks to his award-winning Edinburgh Fringe show back in 2012, the 31-year-old has certainly shown the confidence to take on one of TV's biggest jobs - critics might call it arrogance.

Young, good looking, mixed race - Noah is said to be an ad-man's dream, and it's said Comedy Central will be looking to cash in on his global appeal. However, his reputation has already been slightly tarnished as the media began to dig into his Twitter feed and found some distasteful jokes.

Noah said he shouldn't be judged on gags which didn't land, and his new bosses backed him up - but whether those same execs will be quite as forgiving once he takes the hotseat is yet to be seen.

Trevor Noah says he is a fan of rollercoaster rides. He loves them so much, he often builds his comedy tours around cities that have the biggest rides. His fantasy is a chair that spins while doing a 360 degree loop and a backwards somersault.

Stepping into Jon Stewart's shoes just might provide his scariest ride yet.

Presenter: Mark Coles
Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.

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