Growing up in the dusty streets of Soweto to becoming the first African to ever host the American Daily Show. Trevor Noah received a great amount of criticism when he first started hosting the show, with some people questioning his capabilities to continue with the greatness of the show.
Those who doubted him are either his biggest fans today or they eventually became fans of the show. Noah has worked his way up the social ranks and his craft as a number one comedian Africa has ever produced, and he has become great friends with influential figures in the world - being born a crime didn’t limit him as a creative genius.
Here's a look at his biography.
Trevor Noah Grammys
South African comedian Trevor Noah will be hosting the 63 Grammy Awards taking place on January 31, 2021. The host of 'The Daily Show' will be hosting the awards for the first time in his career.
Trevor had this to say about his gig on The Grammys website."Despite the fact that I am extremely disappointed that the GRAMMYs have refused to have me sing or be nominated for best pop album, I am thrilled to be hosting this auspicious event," said the comedian.
Trevor Noah Age
Trevor Noah was born on the 20th of February in 1986, in Johannesburg. He is 34 years old.
Trevor Noah is the son of Robert, who is Swiss and his mother, Nombuyilelo Noah who is Xhosa. Trevor’s mother converted to Judaism when the comedian was 11-years-old but didn't have him converted - but she taught him certain principles.
The relationship of his parents the under apartheid legislation, it was considered to be illegal, Interracial sexual relations and marriages were only decriminalized under the Immorality Act of 1985, which the amendment took place a year before Trevor was born.
Their interracial relationship resulted in Noah’s mother being arrested and fined by the South African Government. Trevor Noah was raised in Soweto, a township in South Africa, Gauteng - by his mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo - and grandmother.
Patricia was married to an abusive man who shot her near the slums if where Trevor was raised - she was fortunate to have survived the incident. Before he shot her, Khoza used to abuse her and he would hit her with hard objects such as bicycle frames and whatever he could get on his hands.
Khoza went to look for Trevor with hopes of harming him but, he failed and he was eventually arrested.
Trevor Noah started his studies at the private Maryvale College Catholic School in Johannesburg. He grew up attending Roman Catholic Church and was part of the multiple services on Sunday and had his regular Sunday school on Thursday.
Trevor Noah Girlfriend
Trevor Noah broke up with his long-term girlfriend, Jordyn Taylor in 2018.
In his interview with Ellen DeGeneres, he confessed that he was still single at the time and jokingly said, he would like to date a Kardashian for a week and see how his life would turn out.
The comedian seemed to have found love in 2020. He was romantically linked to Minka Kelly. According to Entertainment Tonight, the two were seen shopping for a house in LA. Rumours suggest that the two were quarantining together in Noah's Manhattan home. Neither Trevor nor Minka have confirmed or denied the reports.
Trevor Noah Career
Trevor Noah started his career in 2002 at the age of 18. He had a role on an Episode on Isidingo, A South African soap opera, which plays on SABC 3. After having a glance at the entertainment industry, Trevor started hosting his show, Noah’s Ark on YFM, which is a South African radio station. He eventually stopped doing radio shows and acting to focus on comedy.
In his early stages into the industry, Noah performed with the likes of David Kau, Kagiso Lediga, Riaad Moosa, Darren Simpson, Marc Lottering, Barry Hilton, and Nik Rabinowitz, international comedians such as Paul Rodriguez, Carl Barron, Dan Ilic, and Paul Zerdi.
Learning his ways around the industry, Trevor was gaining popularity each time he would perform. In 2007, Noah was an opening act for the American comedian, Gabriel Iglesias and Canadian comedian Russell Peters when he toured South Africa.
It wasn’t long until Noah returned to hosting, and he became the host of an educational television program, Run the Adventure (2004 -2006) which aired on SABC 2. He moved into hosting The Real Goboza, a gossip show which aired on SABC and he was also co-hosting Siyadlala, a sports program which also aired at the same station.
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The following year Noah co-hosted with Pabi Moloi, The Amazing Date which was a game show and he concluded the year with becoming the fourth contestant of the Strictly Come Dancing reality show.
He hosted the 3rd Annual South Africa Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) in 2009, and during the same year, he co-hosted alongside Eugene Khoza, a reality competition called The Axe Sweet Life.
Trevor Noah hosted the 6th Annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs) and had gained enough following for him to start a show with DStv, Tonight with Trevor Noah on MNet. He was eventually moved to DStv’s Mzansi Magic which led to the expansion and a wider reach for the show.
Later that year he also became a consumer protection agent for Cell C, South Africa's third-largest mobile phone network provider.
Trevor toured throughout South Africa with The Blacks Only Comedy Show, the Heavyweight Comedy Jam, the Vodacom Campus Comedy Tour, the Cape Town International Comedy Festival, the Jozi Comedy Festival, and Bafunny Bafunny which was shot in 2010.
He showcased The Daywalker in 2009, and two years later he released Crazy Normal. By then he had raised enough numbers to fill up arenas and he went on to add That's Racist which was in 2012, and he released It's My Culture in 2013.
Trevor Noah relocated to the United States in 2012. He became the first South African Comedian to appear at The Tonight Show and eventually became the first to appear on Late Show with David Letterman.
In 2012, Noah’s life was officially documented in You Laugh But It’s True. Noah was also the roastmaster for the Comedy Central Roast of South African Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr.
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In November 2016, Noah released his first book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, which instantly became the bestseller in New York and has climbed heights of having the best audiobook as per reviews. It became the highly rated audiobook in 2016.
Noah was nominated for the NAAPC Image Awards. He was nominated for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author and Outstanding Literary Work in the Biography/Auto-Biography category.
Trevor Noah Daily Show
He worked closely with The Daily Show in 2014. On the 30th of March in 2014, it was announced on different news outlets including Comedy Central that Trevor Noah would succeed Jon Stewart as the host of The Daily Show.
In 2017, Comedy Central extended Noah's contract as host of The Daily Show for five more years, through 2022.
He uses his humorous deliveries to address key aspects of society and the reality that people face in American society, and use platform to engage with some of the most influential people such as Bill Gates, Oprah, Kevin Hart, Ellen and many more influential figures.
Trevor Noah Philanthropy
Trevor Noah started a foundation in 2018 which was aimed at helping the vulnerable youth and orphanages in South Africa. As the non-profit organisation is based in Johannesburg, they focus on working the homeless children in the streets of the city, Soweto, and other neighbouring places.
The organisation hopes to enhance the skills of the youth which include work and life skills. It provides educational background and fuels children with sufficient capacity to pursue their dreams.
Trevor Noah has seen the gap needed in order to continue with education and he has decided to donate 50 Laptops to educators. He believes this will be progressive for the education system and will help the students continue to learn.
Trevor Noah is one of the most awarded creatives on the continent. He has become South Africa’s most decorated creative, comedian and has earned himself 62 Grammy Nominations.
Here is a list of his awards:
2012 - South African Comics' Choice Award for Comic of the Year 2014 - MTV Africa Music Awards for Personality of the Year 2016 - NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Talk Series, Outstanding Variety, Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety 2016 - Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Talk Show 2017 - Zora Neale Hurston Award for Born a Crime 2017 - NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work – Biography / Autobiography, Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author 2017 - Guild of America Award for Comedy/Variety with Trevor Noah 2017 - Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for favourite African Star 2017 - GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Talk Show Episode 2018 - MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Host
2018 - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series
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2018 - NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Talk Series
2018 - Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information Writers Guild of America Award
2018 - GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Talk Show EpisodeThe Opposition with Jordan Klepper
2018 - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, Outstanding Interactive Program
2018 - Outstanding Short Form Variety Series at People's Choice Awards
2019 - Dorian Awards for TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
2019 - Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television
2019 - NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Talk Series
2019 - Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
2019 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
2019 - Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
2019 - Critics' Choice Real TV Awards for Best Late-Night Talk Show
2019 - MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Host
2019 - Primetime Emmy Award for Variety Talk Series
2019 - Outstanding Interactive Program
2019 - People's Choice Awards
2020 - Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Special
2020 - Producers Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television
2020 - Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
2020 - NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Talk Series
2020 - Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
2020 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
2020 - GLAAD Media Award | Outstanding Talk Show Episode
In 2015, Trevor Noah almost lost his gig for The Daily Show as he was shamed for a joke which he made and it was received as a derogatory statement for Jewish women.
He was pardoned by Comedy Central who received the joke as his usual nature of comedy, and delivery of jokes. Noah was allowed to continue his job at the The Daily Show.
Trevor Noah was caught up in a controversial plot once again but this time around, it came with death threats.
After the outbreak of Covid-19, people started speculating and creating their theories to make sense of the disease. As time went by, it was believed by so many that Bill Gates might not have the right interest at heart for him to be serving the world with the vaccine.
This was following the interview which he had with Bill Gates. Bill Gates said that he wanted to try the vaccine for the pandemic in Africa and this angered a lot of people. Trevor Noah received death threats as people labelled him a "sell-out", but he exclaimed that he was only doing his job.
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Trevor Noah Net Worth
Throughout his contributions in the South African industry, his shows, his book - Born A Crime and becoming the first African host of the Daily Show, Trevor Noah is estimated to be worth over R28 Million.
His memoir Born a Crime recounts moment through his childhood, when South Africa was transitioning from apartheid to a democracy which saw the country being led by it's first Black president, Nelson Mandela.
Through all this, Trevor found a way to navigate through the harsh systems with his mother and grandmother by his side. Today, he is the greatest comedian who has gained recognition not only in South Africa, but globally. The fans can only expect more great shows from him.
