After announcing his planned departure from The Daily Show last month, Jon Stewart finally has a replacement. South African comedian Trevor Noah was officially announced as the next host of the Comedy Central show and will attempt to fill massive shoes left by 16-year host Stewart.

The 31-year-old Noah was the subject of rumors over the last couple days but many wondered if the cable network was willing to hand over the reins to him, a move that was considered relatively risky. Noah first appeared on The Daily Show as a correspondent a few months ago, the first of three appearances, and while the reception was generally positive, it would’ve been shocking to call him a legit contender for the soon-to-be open job at the time.

The New York Times chatted with Noah while he’s in Dubai doing a comedy tour:

You don’t believe it for the first few hours. You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol.

[UPROXX]