It’s official: Trevor Noah is the new host of The Daily Show and he made his debut with a mixture of funny, heartfelt and biting commentary. During his opening monologue, the comedian addressed a number of topics including his mentor Jon Stewart, the lack of female late night hosts, and, of course, his South African heritage.
The newly-appointed late night host acknowledged how strange it is not to see his predecessor [Stewart] behind the desk by remarking, “I can only assume that this is as strange for you as it is for me. Jon Stewart was more than just a late-night host, he was often our voice, our refuge, and in many ways, our political dad. And it’s weird, because Dad has left. And now it feels like the family has a new step-dad—and he’s black, which is not ideal.”
He went on to thank Stewart for the opportunity by saying, “Thank you, Jon. Thank you for believing in me. I’m not quite sure what you saw in me, but I’ll work hard every day to find it. And I’ll make you not look like the crazy old dude who left his inheritance to some random kid from Africa.”
Noah closed out his monologue by addressing the audience directly: “And to you, the Daily Show viewers—both new and old, at home or on your phone—thank you for joining us, as we continue the war on bullshit.”
To see his opening in its entirety, check out the above video.
