We all know that nightmarish feeling in the pit of our stomachs as we realise we’re running late! On Friday, that played out live on air for Trevor Noah.
The South African comic was due to appear on the 947 radio station in Johannesburg for a morning chat.
But bad traffic, a confused taxi driver and angry locals left the former Daily Show host late for his interview.
“There’s a bicycle fighting with a taxi driver,” he yelled frantically down a crackly phone line to the show’s hosts.
“That’s not in your traffic report,” the flustered star added, before announcing that he was “gonna get in with some guy,” eliciting screams of concern from the presenting team.
The 39-year-old, who quit the Daily Show in 2022 after an acclaimed seven-year run at the helm, finally burst into the studio shortly after.
“Can I just say, whoever is in this traffic, I feel you. We are together,” he laughed while explaining the ordeal.
“The driver I’m with doesn’t know where we’re going,” he recalled. “So I jump out of the car, said I’m gonna run. While I’m running people are in the street – listening to your show – [are] hooting and shouting ‘Trevor it’s the other way! You’re going the wrong way, Trevor!’
“Then one guy decides to stop. He doesn’t just point, he stops the car. He says ‘Trevor, get in.’
“Then he took me to the wrong building!” Noah roared in exasperation.
He was finally spotted by a staff member, who took him to the studio, where Noah was greeted to cheers and applause.
Noah was born in Johannesburg and made his name in the South African comedy circuit, before being named as late-night legend Jon Stewart’s replacement as host of the Daily Show in 2015.
He left in 2022, saying he was “filled with gratitude for the journey” but that there was “another part of my life that I want to carry on exploring”.
The programme has yet to appoint a new host, instead running with a rotating presenter, with stars including Sarah Silverman and Al Franken sitting in the chair.
Last month Noah returned to South Africa, where he has started a run of 12 stand-up specials across the country.
He has also inked a high-profile deal with streaming giant Spotify to host a weekly podcast slated to premiere later this year.
Spotify said the as-yet-unnamed series will combine Noah’s “signature humour and razor-sharp wit with his global perspective to deliver a unique take on the hottest and most captivating topics of the moment.”
