Comedy Central defends Trevor Noah, new ‘Daily Show’ host

By Daniella Diaz and Digital Producer
Updated 1:04 PM EDT, Mon April 6, 2015
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," with longtime host Jon Stewart, has produced many correspondents who have gone on to bigger things. Here's a look at some of the show's more prominent alumni.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Comedy Central
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," with longtime host Jon Stewart, has produced many correspondents who have gone on to bigger things. Here's a look at some of the show's more prominent alumni.
Writer/comedian Wyatt Cenac was a member of "The Daily Show" team both in front of and behind the camera for over four years, ending in 2012.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images/File
Writer/comedian Wyatt Cenac was a member of "The Daily Show" team both in front of and behind the camera for over four years, ending in 2012.
Steve Carell was a "Daily Show" correspondent from 1999 to 2005, when he left to star in NBC's hit sitcom "The Office." Carell has since launched a thriving movie career and earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 2014's "Foxcatcher."
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Everett Collection
Steve Carell was a "Daily Show" correspondent from 1999 to 2005, when he left to star in NBC's hit sitcom "The Office." Carell has since launched a thriving movie career and earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 2014's "Foxcatcher."
After more than eight years as a "Daily Show" correspondent, Stephen Colbert left in 2005 to launch a spinoff built around his blustery, right-wing alter ego. Colbert wrapped his show in December 2014 and will drop his blowhard shtick to succeed David Letterman as the host of the "Late Show" on CBS when Letterman retires later this year.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
After more than eight years as a "Daily Show" correspondent, Stephen Colbert left in 2005 to launch a spinoff built around his blustery, right-wing alter ego. Colbert wrapped his show in December 2014 and will drop his blowhard shtick to succeed David Letterman as the host of the "Late Show" on CBS when Letterman retires later this year.
British comedian John Oliver spent seven years on the show before leaving in 2014 to launch "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," a late-night talk show on HBO.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Comedy Central
British comedian John Oliver spent seven years on the show before leaving in 2014 to launch "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," a late-night talk show on HBO.
Larry Wilmore was the show's "senior black correspondent" until he left to host "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," which premiered in January on Comedy Central.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: FROM COMEDY CENTRAL
Larry Wilmore was the show's "senior black correspondent" until he left to host "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," which premiered in January on Comedy Central.
Rob Corddry was on the show for four years before quitting to appear in such movie comedies as "Blades of Glory," "Semi Pro," "Hot Tub Time Machine" and "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Rob Corddry was on the show for four years before quitting to appear in such movie comedies as "Blades of Glory," "Semi Pro," "Hot Tub Time Machine" and "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."
Ed Helms, second from left, parlayed his four years on "The Daily Show" into memorable roles on NBC's "The Office" and in "The Hangover" movies.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Ed Helms, second from left, parlayed his four years on "The Daily Show" into memorable roles on NBC's "The Office" and in "The Hangover" movies.
After two years of appearances on the show, Josh Gad left in 2011 to pursue a blossoming stage and film career. He has appeared on Broadway in the original production of "The Book of Mormon," voiced the snowman Olaf in "Frozen" and co-starred with Kevin Hart in "The Wedding Ringer."
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Variety
After two years of appearances on the show, Josh Gad left in 2011 to pursue a blossoming stage and film career. He has appeared on Broadway in the original production of "The Book of Mormon," voiced the snowman Olaf in "Frozen" and co-starred with Kevin Hart in "The Wedding Ringer."
Olivia Munn, who has Chinese ancestry, spent a year on the show as its "Senior Asian Correspondent." She has since appeared in "Magic Mike" and "Deliver Us From Evil," and is dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Rex Features via AP Images
Olivia Munn, who has Chinese ancestry, spent a year on the show as its "Senior Asian Correspondent." She has since appeared in "Magic Mike" and "Deliver Us From Evil," and is dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rob Riggle was a veteran of "Saturday Night Live" when he joined the show as its "Senior Foreign Correspondent," drawing laughs for his "reports" from the Iraq War. (He's also a military veteran, having served in the Marines for 23 years.) Riggle left the show in 2008 and has since had supporting roles in numerous movie comedies. He's also made regular appearances on TV's "Modern Family" and "Fox NFL Sunday."
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Noah Weinzweig/Comedy Central/AP
Rob Riggle was a veteran of "Saturday Night Live" when he joined the show as its "Senior Foreign Correspondent," drawing laughs for his "reports" from the Iraq War. (He's also a military veteran, having served in the Marines for 23 years.) Riggle left the show in 2008 and has since had supporting roles in numerous movie comedies. He's also made regular appearances on TV's "Modern Family" and "Fox NFL Sunday."
From 1998 to 2003, Mo Rocca was a regular correspondent for "The Daily Show." Since departing, he's become a correspondent for "CBS This Morning" and frequently pops up on the radio show "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
From 1998 to 2003, Mo Rocca was a regular correspondent for "The Daily Show." Since departing, he's become a correspondent for "CBS This Morning" and frequently pops up on the radio show "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"
Samantha Bee was the longest-serving "Daily Show" correspondent, having been with the show from 2003 to 2015. A show on TBS -- like CNN, a unit of Time Warner -- is in the works. Bee is married to fellow "Daily Show" veteran Jason Jones.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Comedy Centra
Samantha Bee was the longest-serving "Daily Show" correspondent, having been with the show from 2003 to 2015. A show on TBS -- like CNN, a unit of Time Warner -- is in the works. Bee is married to fellow "Daily Show" veteran Jason Jones.
Comedian Trevor Noah, who joined the show as a correspondent in December 2014, will succeed Jon Stewart as host of "The Daily Show" after Stewart steps down later this year.
Photos: 'The Daily Show's' famous alumni
PHOTO: Courtesy Comedy Central
Comedian Trevor Noah, who joined the show as a correspondent in December 2014, will succeed Jon Stewart as host of "The Daily Show" after Stewart steps down later this year.
(CNN) —  

Comedy Central is standing by Trevor Noah after he faced heavy criticism from the Internet community less than 24 hours after being named Jon Stewart’s replacement as host of “The Daily Show.”

Fans of the show scoured Noah’s Twitter to learn more about the comedian and found several “offensive” tweets he wrote about overweight women and Jews.

Noah responded to the backlash on Tuesday, via 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 defended the comedian as well, saying, “Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included.

“To judge him or his comedy based on a handful of jokes is unfair. Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.”

Comedy Central announced Monday that the 31-year-old South African with three appearances on “The Daily Show” under his belt would take over the show for Stewart, who told told his audience earlier this year that he would be stepping down as host. Noah, who has had a Twitter account since 2009, has a little more than 2 million followers and usually uses Twitter to promote comedy shows or share random observations.

Many Twitter users, including the Anti-Defamation League, have taken to the platform to show their distaste for his tweets.

Despite the backlash, many have defended the comedian.

James Corden's résumé isn't limited to "The Late Late Show," which he started hosting in March. He's a Tony winner and movie actor ("Into the Woods"), and CBS just announced he'll be hosting the 2016 Tony Awards. As "Late Late Show" host, Corden replaced Craig Ferguson, who left the show in December 2014. The face of late-night TV has changed considerably in recent years as many longtime hosts have moved on to other things. Here's a look at the leading players.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Getty Images
James Corden's résumé isn't limited to "The Late Late Show," which he started hosting in March. He's a Tony winner and movie actor ("Into the Woods"), and CBS just announced he'll be hosting the 2016 Tony Awards. As "Late Late Show" host, Corden replaced Craig Ferguson, who left the show in December 2014. The face of late-night TV has changed considerably in recent years as many longtime hosts have moved on to other things. Here's a look at the leading players.
Comedian Trevor Noah succeeded Jon Stewart as host of "The Daily Show" in September.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Courtesy Comedy Central
Comedian Trevor Noah succeeded Jon Stewart as host of "The Daily Show" in September.
With his barbed jokes about political hypocrisy, Jon Stewart won enormous acclaim over his 15-plus years hosting "The Daily Show." He announced in February that he was leaving the Comedy Central fake-news program this year to focus on other projects. His directing debut, "Rosewater," was released in late 2014.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Comedy Central
With his barbed jokes about political hypocrisy, Jon Stewart won enormous acclaim over his 15-plus years hosting "The Daily Show." He announced in February that he was leaving the Comedy Central fake-news program this year to focus on other projects. His directing debut, "Rosewater," was released in late 2014.
Stephen Colbert, a former "Daily Show" correspondent, took opinionated cable news network hosts' me-first, confrontational style and parodied it mercilessly on "The Colbert Report." He replaced David Letterman on "The Late Show" in September.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Scott Gries/PictureGroup/Comedy Central
Stephen Colbert, a former "Daily Show" correspondent, took opinionated cable news network hosts' me-first, confrontational style and parodied it mercilessly on "The Colbert Report." He replaced David Letterman on "The Late Show" in September.
Larry Wilmore took over Colbert's Comedy Central slot with "The Nightly Show," which premiered in January 2015. Prior to "Nightly," Wilmore was the "Daily Show's" "senior black correspondent."
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Comedy Central/Peter Yang
Larry Wilmore took over Colbert's Comedy Central slot with "The Nightly Show," which premiered in January 2015. Prior to "Nightly," Wilmore was the "Daily Show's" "senior black correspondent."
John Oliver, another former "Daily Show" correspondent, went to HBO for his "Last Week Tonight" and has gained acclaim for his in-depth -- and still humorous -- looks at such issues as the Miss America pageant and Internet neutrality.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: HBO
John Oliver, another former "Daily Show" correspondent, went to HBO for his "Last Week Tonight" and has gained acclaim for his in-depth -- and still humorous -- looks at such issues as the Miss America pageant and Internet neutrality.
Jimmy Fallon took over the "Tonight Show" from Jay Leno in 2014, and unlike the previous hand-off -- between Leno and Conan O'Brien -- the transition went very smoothly. Fallon has brought in a younger audience, and his bits often go viral.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon took over the "Tonight Show" from Jay Leno in 2014, and unlike the previous hand-off -- between Leno and Conan O'Brien -- the transition went very smoothly. Fallon has brought in a younger audience, and his bits often go viral.
Jimmy Kimmel oversees ABC's late-night show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which has gained popularity for such bits as "Mean Tweets" and his alleged triangle with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Randy Holmes/ABC/Getty Images
Jimmy Kimmel oversees ABC's late-night show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which has gained popularity for such bits as "Mean Tweets" and his alleged triangle with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Conan O'Brien took over Letterman's NBC "Late Night" spot when Letterman departed for CBS and hosted the "Tonight Show" for about seven months in 2009. After leaving NBC, he joined TBS (like CNN, a part of Time Warner) and has been hosting "Conan" there since 2010.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: MEGHAN SINCLAIR/TBS
Conan O'Brien took over Letterman's NBC "Late Night" spot when Letterman departed for CBS and hosted the "Tonight Show" for about seven months in 2009. After leaving NBC, he joined TBS (like CNN, a part of Time Warner) and has been hosting "Conan" there since 2010.
Seth Meyers hosts "Late Night" on NBC. The show was taken over by Fallon after O'Brien left, and Meyers -- a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and "Weekend Update" anchor -- started hosting it in early 2014.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Peter Kramer/NBC/Getty Images
Seth Meyers hosts "Late Night" on NBC. The show was taken over by Fallon after O'Brien left, and Meyers -- a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and "Weekend Update" anchor -- started hosting it in early 2014.
David Letterman was the Grand Old Man of Late Night -- but he's now left the stage (and desk, chair and mic combination) to his younger colleagues. He signed off May 20, 2015.
Photos: The changing face of late night
PHOTO: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS/Getty Images
David Letterman was the Grand Old Man of Late Night -- but he's now left the stage (and desk, chair and mic combination) to his younger colleagues. He signed off May 20, 2015.