Who Is Trevor Noah? New 'The Daily Show' Host's Best Jokes, Tweets [VIDEO]

Comedy Central announced Monday that Trevor Noah, 31, a contributor to “The Daily Show,” will take over hosting duties when Jon Stewart steps down this year. The South African comedian has appeared on the late-night fake-news program three times since he began working there in December, speaking about Ebola virus disease, reporting on Boko Haram and playing chess with Stewart, Entertainment Weekly said.

Host of “The Daily Show” since 1999, Stewart said he was pleased with the selection. “I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor,” he said in a statement cited by the New York Times. “He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with.”

Noah’s resume includes stints on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” as well as “The Late Show with David Letterman.” He’s a successful comedian overseas, too, with a claim that he’s “sold more DVDs than any other stand-up on the African continent” appearing on his website. Noah, currently on a comedy tour in Dubai, told the Times he was excited about getting the gig. “You don’t believe it for the first few hours,” he said. “You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol.”

Noah also tweeted about the announcement:

After Stewart announced his departure Feb. 10, the Internet began buzzing with debates over who should replace him. Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, John Oliver and Kristen Schaal were named as candidates, but all had other commitments. Jessica Williams, another beloved contributor to “The Daily Show,” tweeted she wasn’t qualified for the position after fans launched a Change.org petition demanding she be named the new host.

In searching for somebody to succeed Stewart, Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless told the Times, “You don’t hope to find the next Jon Stewart -- there is no next Jon Stewart.” The goal was “to find someone who brings something really exciting and new and different.”

It’s unclear when Noah will start his hosting duties. Stewart has said only that he’ll leave before the end of this year.

If you’re unfamiliar with Noah’s comedy, take a look at a few of the comedian’s most-watched clips:

Noah is a prolific poster on Twitter, frequently with messages about international politics and soccer. Here are a few of his most-favorited tweets: