Trevor Noah: Who will take over The Daily Show?

When Trevor Noah – then relatively unknown in the US – was named anchor of The Daily Show in 2015, the announcement was met with some confusion. Trevor who?

Now, after a successful seven-year run, the South African comedian is stepping away from the show that made him a household name, and speculation has begun over who will be next up as anchor.

After Noah says goodbye on Thursday, The Daily Show will first try out a rotating roster of high-profile guest hosts before settling on a permanent replacement, the network said this week.

Here’s a look at some of those stars, one of whom may soon be the face of the satirical news show – now a late-night institution.

Hasan Minhaj, the 37-year-old comedian from Davis, California, is no stranger to The Daily Show. He served as the programme’s senior correspondent from 2014 to 2018, appearing in recurring rapid-fire segments like “Brown in Town” where he reported from around the US.

He left The Daily Show in 2018 to launch his own programme, a topical comedy series on Netflix called Patriot Act – the first weekly US talk show to be fronted by an Indian American.

Here, Minhaj tackled a wide range of hot-button topics: censorship in China, the Indian elections and the legalisation of cannabis. One episode covering the story of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was removed from Netflix in Saudi Arabia.

After six seasons, the show was cancelled, inspiring an online petition from fans begging Netflix to reconsider.

While Minhaj has not yet commented on his role as guest host, he may very well have Noah’s vote. The soon to be former Daily Show host has praised Minhaj for his “whip-smart commentary, charisma and sincerity.”

Comedian Chelsea Handler will be standing in for Noah in February, and has already said she’s excited for her return to late-night.

“That’s pretty much a great gig for me,” she said this week.

The comedian and author has certainly had some practice. Handler is one of the only women to have hosted a late-night show, beginning with Chelsea Lately from 2007-2014, before moving to Netflix for a two-season run of her eponymous show, Chelsea.

In 2017, Handler – a progressive activist and outspoken critic of Donald Trump – said she would take a break from TV to focus on political activism, inspired by Mr Trump’s election.

Now, after a five-year break, it sounds like she’s ready for a comeback.

“There’s a dearth of female representation in late-night,” she said. “I could do that job, I’ve done it before and I’m going to do it again.”

Al Franken’s spin as a Daily Show stand-in may be the most controversial.

Franken, 71, apologised but denied wrongdoing. He later said he regretted stepping down and would consider running for office again.

In the years since, he’s made a slow return to the public sphere, launching The Al Franken Podcast in 2019. Last year, he quietly launched a travelling stand-up show: The Only Former US Senator Currently on Tour Tour.

Acting as host of The Daily Show – even if it’s temporary – will be a milestone for Franken, who has largely shied away from the limelight since his fall from grace.

On Twitter, Franken said he was “honoured” to be guest-hosting The Daily Show, adding that he was “working on Trump indictment material”.