The Evolution of Trevor Noah

Fans of The Daily Show were shocked when Comedy Central announced that a little-known young South African comic would be stepping into Jon Stewart’s shoes when he walked away from the show in 2015. But since then, the world has gotten to know and love Trevor Noah. He kept us laughing through the pandemic as he managed to make jokes out of the biggest headlines from his living room. And he’s shown us that he can host just about anything from room full of musicians at the GRAMMYs to a room full of journalists and politicians at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Let’s take a look at the evolution of Trevor Noah.

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1984 - Born into Apartheid

Trevor Noah was born February 20, 1984, in Johannesburg, South Africa. His mother was a Black woman from South Africa, and his father was a white Swiss man. When Noah was born, interracial relationships were illegal. And as a result, his parents were forced to keep their relationship a secret. Noah was primarily raised by his grandmother in Soweto, a South African township that was reserved for Black people by the South African government.

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He Loves Languages

QI | Trevor Noah’s Xhosa Lesson

If you’re not already in love with the late-night host, you may be impressed to learn that he speaks eight languages, including German and Afrikaans. In sit-down with Interview, Noah joked about the disturbing similarity between his German accent and Adolf Hitler’s.

“I genuinely had a very Hitler-ish accent when I spoke German,” he said. “I spoke it with too much conviction. Then I found out I [sounded] distinctly Hitler-ish, and that’s something that I’ve had to learn to change over time. But there are still moments where I say things that make German people go, ‘Oh, that makes me a bit uncomfortable.’”

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2002 - Teenage Soap Star

Believe it or not Noah hasn’t always been all about the news. At 18, he was cast in a small role in the South African soap opera, Isidingo, which follows a wealthy family and the residents of a mining community called Horizon Deep. He was only featured in one episode and was simply known as “teen at party,” but the role would be the first of many for the rising star. Noah went on to take on several hosting gigs on television in South Africa, including a game show, The Amazing Date, and an educational program, Run the Adventure.

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2008 - Putting on His Dancing Pants

Trevor Noah placed 2nd in South Africa’s version of Dancing With The Stars (Strictly Come Dancing)

In 2008, Noah decided to compete in the reality series, Strictly Come Dancing, South Africa’s version of Dancing with the Stars. And he did pretty well. His team came in second place. When asked why he decided to do the show, Noah said, “It was an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and just have fun. Plus, those pants make my ass look good!”

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2009 - Standing Out in Stand Up

In 2009, Noah took the stage to perform in his first solo stand up show, The Daywalker. Noah performed in front of a sold-out crowd in a 1,100-seat theater in Johannesburg. After the stand out performance, Noah went on to host the South African talk show, Tonight with Trevor Noah, which aired from 2010 to 2011.

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2011 - You Laugh, But It’s True

As he prepared for his 2009 one-man show, The Daywalker, the comedian had a camera crew following him around. The footage was used in a documentary, You Laugh But It’s True, released in 2011. The nearly one-and-a-half-hour film gives you some great insight into the comedian’s life before he becomes a household name.

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2014 - Breaking into Late Night

After relocating to America in 2012, Noah got the gig that would give him even more international exposure. In 2014, he began appearing as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

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2014 - Dating Dani Gabriel

The comedian tends to keep his private life fairly private, but we do know a little about some of the ladies in his life. In 2014, Noah began dating South African musician and physiotherapist Dani Gabriel. Gabriel started as a real ride-or-die, traveling with Noah as he performed stand-up shows around the world and worked as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. But the couple’s love didn’t last. When Noah took over the hosting gig from Stewart, Gabriel was unable to uproot her life and move to New York, which caused the couple to split in 2015.

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2015 - Taking Over at The Daily Show

At 31 years old and after only three appearances as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, fans were shocked to learn that Trevor Noah was tapped to take over as host of the show after Stewart stepped down. After taking his place behind the desk for the first time, Noah paid tribute to Stewart, who hosted the show that unapologetically took shots at politicians and the media for 16 years. “He was often our voice, our refuge, and in many ways our political dad,” he said. “And it’s weird because dad has left, and now it feels like the family has a new stepdad — and he’s black.”

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2015 - Dating Jordyn Taylor

After his breakup with Dani Gabriel, it wouldn’t be long before Noah was seen stepping out with another beautiful woman by his side. This time, it was singer and model Jordyn Taylor. The pair began dating in 2015, but they eventually split in 2018 after they “grew apart.”

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2016 - Makings of a Memoir

In 2016, Noah published his memoir, “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.” The book, which became a #1 New York Times Bestseller, gives readers an inside look at the comedian’s life growing up in South Africa during apartheid. Noah shares deeply personal stories, including the story of his mother’s husband, who shot her in the head.

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2017 - That’s Emmy Winner Trevor Noah to You

Although he’s received 11 nominations, In 2017, Noah copped his first Emmy award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for The Daily Show - Between the Scenes.

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2018 - The Trevor Noah Foundation

Noah has always been a believer in the importance of education. So in 2018, he launched the Trevor Noah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for South Africans. Providing teacher training and support, furnishing grants to support school initiatives, and offering career development and guidance are just a few of the important initiatives the foundation provides.

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2020 - Dating Minka Kelly

The most eligible bachelor in late-night broke a lot of hearts in 2020 when he went public with his relationship with Euphoria actress Minka Kelly. Things got pretty serious between Noah and the actress who has also been linked to Jesse Williams and Derek Jeter. They’re making plans for a future together, and it’s a very stable relationship,” someone close to the couple said in 2020. “They’ve been spending time between coasts over the last year and had been looking for a place in L.A. as a couple.” But someone as busy as Noah doesn’t have a whole lot of time for love. PEOPLE reported that Noah’s work schedule didn’t leave him with much time for the relationship, and in May of 2022, a source confirmed that the couple had split.

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2021/2022 - Getting it in at the GRAMMYs

Noah hosted the GRAMMY awards in 2021 and did such a good job that they asked him back in 2022. He even managed to keep the 2022 show free of drama, one week after the Chris Rock-Will Smith dust-up at the Oscars just a week earlier. “We’re going to be listening to some music; we’re going to be dancing, we’re going to be singing, we’re going to be keeping people’s names out of our mouths and we’re going to be giving awards all throughout the night,” Noah said.

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2022 - Hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

In May 2022, Noah took on hosting duties at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the first in-person gathering after a two-year COVID-related hiatus. Although he played it fairly safe, Noah managed to get a few digs in at the press, and the politicians in the audience, including this one directed at CNN, “The great chef José Andrés is joining us tonight. … Whenever there’s a disaster anywhere in the world, Chef José is there. Which I guess is why he’s sitting at the CNN table tonight.”

The Evolution of Trevor Noah

We went back to take look at the meteoric rise of the comedian, host and bestselling author

1984 - Born into Apartheid

1984 - Born into Apartheid

He Loves Languages

He Loves Languages

2002 - Teenage Soap Star

2002 - Teenage Soap Star

2008 - Putting on His Dancing Pants

2008 - Putting on His Dancing Pants

2009 - Standing Out in Stand Up

2009 - Standing Out in Stand Up

2011 - You Laugh, But It’s True

2011 - You Laugh, But It’s True

2014 - Breaking into Late Night

2014 - Breaking into Late Night

2014 - Dating Dani Gabriel

2014 - Dating Dani Gabriel

2015 - Taking Over at The Daily Show

2015 - Taking Over at The Daily Show

2015 - Dating Jordyn Taylor

2015 - Dating Jordyn Taylor

2016 - Makings of a Memoir

2016 - Makings of a Memoir

2017 - That’s Emmy Winner Trevor Noah to You

2017 - That’s Emmy Winner Trevor Noah to You

2018 - The Trevor Noah Foundation

2018 - The Trevor Noah Foundation

2020 - Dating Minka Kelly

2020 - Dating Minka Kelly

2021/2022 - Getting it in at the GRAMMYs

2021/2022 - Getting it in at the GRAMMYs

2022 - Hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

2022 - Hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner