Trevor Noah Biography: Trevor Noah born February 20, 1984 is a South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He served as the host of The Daily Show, an American late-night talk show and satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 2015 to 2022. Throughout his career, Noah has received numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of “The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media” in both 2017 and 2018, and in 2018, Time magazine named him one of the hundred most influential people in the world. In 2023, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize. Born in Johannesburg, Noah launched his career in South Africa in 2008, where he held various hosting roles with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
Trevor Noah Biography 2025
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He was the host of The Daily Show, an American late-night talk show and satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 2015 to 2022. Noah has won various awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Born: 20 February 1984 (age 40 years), Johannesburg, South Africa
Parents: Patricia Noah, Robert Noah
Height: 1.81 m
Siblings: Andrew Shingange, Isaac Shingange
Trevor Noah Biography 2025 Details
Born |
20 February 1984 (age 40)
Johannesburg, South Africa |
Medium |
- Stand-up
- television
- film
- books
|
Education |
Maryvale College |
Years active |
2008–present |
Genres |
- Political/news satire
- observational comedy
- surreal humour
- insult comedy
- deadpan
|
Subject(s) |
- Mass media/news media/media criticism
- American politics
- South African culture
- current events
- race relations
- pop culture
|
Category |
Singers Bio |
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Early Life
Trevor Noah was born on February 20, 1984, in Johannesburg, in what was then Transvaal (now Gauteng), South Africa. His father, Robert, is Swiss-German, and his mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, is Xhosa. Due to apartheid laws, Noah’s mother was classified as Black, his father as White, and Noah himself as Coloured. His parents’ interracial relationship was illegal at the time of his birth, a situation he explores in his autobiography. Interracial relationships were decriminalized a year later with the amendment of the Immorality Act in 1985. Noah was raised in the black township of Soweto by his mother and grandmother, Nomalizo Frances Noah. He began his education at Maryvale College, a private Roman Catholic primary and secondary school in Gauteng.
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How Trevor Noah Started His Career
Trevor Noah began his journey with small roles in South Africa, hosting an educational show on local TV and the radio program Noah’s Ark. At 22, he took the stage at a nightclub on a dare, which led to a series of comedy club performances and television appearances as his popularity soared. I always felt an innate joy making people laugh,” Noah shared in an interview with Harvard Business Review. “I always loved performing. Then someone paid me to do it professionally, but I loved it before I earned any money, so it was always my natural path.” By the late 2000s, he was selling out shows, and in the early 2010s, he launched his first talk show, Tonight with Trevor Noah. In 2012, he aimed to replicate his success in the U.S. South Africa is a wonderful place to begin a comedy career, but it’s a small country… I’ve always dreamed of performing elsewhere,” he said, noting that the U.S. offers a sustainable market for stand-up comedy.
Trevor Noah Net Worth
Trevor Noah’s estimated net worth is around $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Much of this wealth comes from his time on The Daily Show, but he has also earned millions through comedy tours, real estate investments, his bestselling memoir, and his new Spotify podcast.
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Earnings from The Daily Show
When Noah became the host of The Daily Show in 2015, many were surprised—himself included—given his youth and relative inexperience in American comedy. Initially, he earned between $5 million and $8 million per season, significantly less than Jon Stewart’s $25 million salary. Despite the initial pay cut, Noah’s success allowed him to renegotiate for $16 million per season by 2017, a figure he maintained until his departure in 2022.
Emmy Awards
Trevor Noah has been nominated for 18 Emmy Awards, winning two, including for Outstanding Talk Series in 2023 for The Daily Show.
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Earnings from His Memoir
Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime, released in 2016, details his childhood as the son of an interracial couple in apartheid South Africa. The book became a bestseller, and he secured a seven-figure deal, though the exact amount remains undisclosed.
Hosting the Grammys
Noah hosted the Grammys in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. While his exact compensation isn’t public, Forbes reported that Grammy hosts typically earn at least $5,000, but likely closer to $20,000. For someone with a $100 million net worth, this might seem modest, yet he clearly finds value in the opportunity.
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Current Projects
Noah, who has always been prolific in stand-up, is currently on his Off the Record tour, which will conclude in Los Angeles in May. He is also hosting a new podcast, What Now? With Trevor Noah, on Spotify. In an interview with Variety, he described the podcast as a platform for dynamic conversations with a mix of famous and everyday individuals, aiming to break out of echo chambers and explore serious topics alongside humor. I always find myself laughing with a person,” he remarked. “That doesn’t mean the conversations are frivolous… When I was growing up in South Africa, there were terrible times, but I don’t remember a time when we weren’t laughing.”