‘Daily Show’ names host to follow Stewart

South African comedian Trevor Noah will succeed Jon Stewart as the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, according to a Monday report.

{mosads}Noah has appeared on the show only three times before — meaning the network chose to elevate a newcomer to one of the most prominent positions in its lineup.

It is unclear whether Noah will maintain the same focus on American politics that marked Stewart’s tenure as the host of the show.

Stewart has presided over the program since 1999 and defined his comedic voice against the backdrop of the Bush administration. He has been critical of many — if not all — politicians, and become a standard stop on the book tour of any Washington figure.

He announced he was leaving the show last month.

Though many conservatives saw Stewart as irrevocably tied to the left, one of his more recent scathing interviews came when he grilled former Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius over the failure to successfully launch HealthCare.gov.

“I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor,” Stewart told The New York Times. “He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with.”