While Trevor Noah acknowledges race played a factor in the backlash, he offered a more nuanced perspective.
In a recent conversation on Steven Bartlett’s ‘The Diary of A CEO‘ podcast, Trevor Noah laid bare the tough beginnings of his Daily Show journey.
The comedian spoke candidly about facing death threats and xenophobic backlash during his early days as host.
“It was absolutely terrible,” Noah admitted, reflecting on his initial reception as Jon Stewart’s successor.
The South African comedian said he had found himself thrust into a role that went beyond just mere entertainment.
“I quickly learned it wasn’t just a position… Jon Stewart to many people was the most trusted man in America, the voice of a generation.
“The politicians who sort of look to him and they’re like ‘well what would John Stewart think’,” he said.
Racial undertones and resistance to change
While Noah acknowledges race played a factor in the backlash, he offered a more nuanced perspective.
“I’m careful to say ‘it’s about race’ and I think it’s more all the things that make you different.
“Me being different in my colour to John Stewart probably makes a person feel like I’m more different to him when I’m sitting at the desk,” he explained.
Surprisingly, he said much of the resistance came from unexpected quarters.
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Death threats and xenophobic attacks
The hostility escalated to dangerous levels, with Noah receiving death threats and xenophobic messages.
“People would just be like ‘go back to where you came from,’” he revealed.
Yet, Noah said that his South African background gave him a unique perspective on the hatred.
“My gift and my curse was that I came from South Africa, so I know… like top-quality racism,” he jokingly shared.
Despite the overwhelming negativity, Noah credited his survival to the team around him.
“You cannot choose what’s going to happen to you, but you almost definitely can choose who you’re going to handle it with,” he reflected.
This philosophy, he said, shaped his approach to all future endeavours: “I will take a sh*t job if I’m going to work with great people because a great job with the worst people is not going to feel great.”
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Breaking mental health stigmas
Beyond his professional struggles, Noah has become an advocate for mental health awareness, particularly among men of colour.
Having experienced depression himself, he emphasised the importance of therapy.
Noah also noted that according to statistics, men, particularly of colour, were more predisposed towards suppressing their mental health needs and not attending therapy.
“There’s complex reasons why [men of colour don’t seek therapy], but I think it’s quite important for men that have been to therapy, including myself, to talk about why they went.”
