Trevor Noah and Jon Stewart Still Talk on the Phone and Swap Stories About Hosting ‘The Daily Show’
Trevor Noah revealed that he and Jon Stewart are still in touch regularly, chatting on the phone and swapping stories about their experiences hosting “The Daily Show.”
Stewart first handed the reins over to Noah as the Comedy Central late night host in 2015. And, after Noah’s exit from the program in 2022, he came back for a weekly Monday night stint to cover the 2024 election.
Speaking with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett on their “Smartless” podcast Monday, Noah said that their dynamic has gone “full circle.”
“We still talk about that now,” Noah said of his relationship with Stewart. “Now that Jon has gone back to hosting the show, we’ll still share the stories of how ironically — the other day we were on the phone, and I was saying to him it’s funny that we’ve gone full circle.”
The comedian remembered his initial phone call with Stewart, in which the then-full-time “Daily Show” host wanted to meet with him in New York.
“When we first spoke, it was on the phone and I was traveling through Dubai and England doing comedy shows. And then now when we spoke and he’s host again, I’m traveling and I was literally in Dubai calling him having another conversation,” Noah reflected. “It’s literally gone full circle.”
Noah also admitted that he didn’t feel that much pressure when replacing Stewart as host nine years ago.
“I don’t think I felt the amount of pressure that I should have felt because I didn’t grow up with ‘The Daily Show,’ and I met Jon Stewart just as a stand-up comedian meeting another stand-up comedian,” Noah said.
Of that initial call with Stewart, Noah humorously recounted being in a Harrods department store in the U.K. when a call came through from Stewart. Stewart asked Noah to come to the U.S. because he liked the way he “saw the world.” The South African native, who at that time was touring globally to great success, initially turned down the offer.
“At first I said no, I was like, ‘I’ve got the tour,'” Noah told the podcast hosts. “He said, ‘Are you saying no to the trappings of American fame and popularity? Who are you young man?’ I said, ‘No I’ve got a tour, I’ll see you when I see you.'”
Noah ended up in New York half a year later and Stewart again called.
“He called me again like, ‘I hear you’re in town, but you didn’t look me up!'” Noah said. “I was like Jesus this guy is relentless.”
Eventually, Noah was convinced to take the role and he sat in the host chair from 2015-2022.
Stewart returned to the desk in February 2024.
Listen to Noah’s full “Smartless” interview here.
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