Future Daily Show host Trevor Noah on his old, controversial jokes: 'I was an idiot'

Trevor Noah
(Image credit: Stringer/Getty Images)

Replacing Jon Stewart as the host of The Daily Show was never going to be an easy job — but even by those elevated standards, Trevor Noah's impending takeover has been a little rocky. Shortly after Noah was announced as the show's new host, journalists combed his Twitter account and discovered old jokes that were deemed both offensive and unfunny, leading to widespread speculation over whether he was a suitable host for The Daily Show.

Addressing the controversy in a new GQ profile, Noah is blunt about his evolution as an artist. "That's a great thing for me," he says. "When I get a chance to look back and go: 'I was an idiot'":

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.