Watch the opening monologue of The Daily Show with new host Trevor Noah

Last night, South African comedian Trevor Noah took the reins as host of American news satire show, The Daily Show. Though the show appears to retain the same humour and structure this spells a new era for the television programme

Noah took over from previous host Jon Stewart who left the show in August after presenting it for 16 years. To his credit, Noah looked comfortable and did not show any signs of being overwhelmed.

Noah opened the show by thanking Jon Stewart, making jokes about Africa, America, and his heritage. For a first monologue, these jokes went down well, however for longevity, Noah and his team will have to find fresher and different material.

“Truth is now I’m in the chair and I can only assume that this is strange for you as it is for me. Jon Stewart was more than just a late night host, he was often our voice, our refuge and in many ways our political dad,” said Noah.

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The show continued with its usual agenda of highlighting news of the week, criticising and mocking current events and the people involved. The monologue touched on the Pope’s visit to the US and House of Representatives’ speaker, John Boehner’s resignation.

South African viewers can catch the show on Comedy Central tonight at 9pm.