While Jon Stewart prepares to end his tenure at the helm of Comedy Central’s Daily Show, his soon-to-be heir does not seem to be off to a great start. Trevor Noah, a 31-year-old comedian from South Africa, has made several appearances on the show and seemed to be a strong choice as a fresh face to replace the retiring Stewart.
However, with Noah being fairly unknown, many took to social media outlets to learn more about him. In that process, some of his earlier tweets have surfaced and driven some to already call for a different replacement. Specifically, some have even gone so far as to call some of his comments anti-Semitic and sexist.
Though there have been a fair number of people to voice these concerns, there have also been those that realize that a rising comedian is bound to make statements that may rub some the wrong way. In his own defense, Noah took to Twitter saying, “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 has also decided to stand firmly behind Noah as he prepares to take the desk from Stewart. In a statement released Wednesday, the network said, “Like many comedians, Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included… Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.”
Comedy Central has not yet disclosed plans for when Stewart will step down. This added scrutiny will surely add pressure to the already daunting task of replacing the award-winning, 16-year veteran that Stewart has been to the show.
