Trevor Noah’s epic speech after The Daily Show bagged an Emmy
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah secured an Emmy Award for the Best Variety Talk Show, marking the first time the show has clinched this prestigious accolade since former host Jon Stewart’s final year.
Noah, who bid farewell to The Daily Show in 2022, witnessed his final season being honored at the 2023 Emmy Awards, which were postponed due to Hollywood strikes. The delay allowed for Noah’s last season to be acknowledged in 2024.
During his acceptance speech, Noah expressed gratitude to the team and particularly acknowledged Jon Stewart, describing him as a “crazy genius” who invited him to join the extraordinary journey.
“I don’t think American TV has seen that many clips of Robert Mugabe — so it was pretty wild putting that together. And seeing a team of people who didn’t even know me that well, rallying behind me and saying ‘yeah, we’ll help make this vision come to life. We’ll help figure out how we can help you tell the story that seemed crazy at the time and now, unfortunately has started to seem a lot more normal.’”
In a lighthearted moment, Noah humorously remarked about ‘beating’ John Oliver, who was not in the same category.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver secured the first scripted variety series Emmy award, extending its dominance in the outstanding variety talk series category.
“I told you! I told you we would beat John Oliver if he wasn’t in our category. We did it! We got rid of John Oliver!” quipped Noah during his acceptance.
Noah extended his thanks to The Daily Show’s team, including David Kibuuka, Joseph Opio, David Meyer, Roy Wood Jr., Jordan Klepper, and showrunner Jen Flanz. He humorously mentioned Klepper, whose flight got canceled.
Reflecting on the win, Noah shared his thoughts in the Emmy press room, acknowledging that winning also felt like a “reunion”. He highlighted the collaborative effort of The Daily Show’s team.
Noah’s win prompted South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa to extend congratulations on Twitter, recognizing Noah as part of a stellar cast of South Africans contributing globally.
The host also joked about contemplating who would replace him after the victory, adding a humorous touch to the moment.
This triumph marks Noah’s second Emmy, with The Daily Show previously winning the award for outstanding short-form variety series in 2017. As of now, a permanent replacement for Noah on The Daily Show is yet to be announced.