Last February saw popular American talk show host Jon Stewart hang up his boots as presenter of The Daily Show after seventeen years. Since then there has been a lot of speculation as to who would fill his shoes, with the likes of Tina Fey and John Oliver all thrown out there as potential replacements.

Well fans of the show may be surprised to hear who in fact is set to get the gig. It's not a well known name but rather a contributor to the show, South African comedian Trevor Noah.

31-year-old Noah has appeared on the show just three times and is relatively unknown to the American public. It was initially thought that a female presenter would be brought on board considering how rife US television is with male late night hosts, however, Michele Ganeless, the Comedy Central president, said in an interview with The New York Times; "We talked to women. We talked to men. We found in Trevor the best person for the job."

She added; “You don’t hope to find the next Jon Stewart – there is no next Jon Stewart. So, our goal was to find someone who brings something really exciting and new and different."

Ganeless said of Noah; "He brings such a unique worldview and a deep understanding of human nature, which makes his comedy so insightful,” she added. “He’s truly a student of the world."

In a statement, Jon Stewart said; "I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor. He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with." He also added that he "may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!"

The news may come as a surprise to some, but The Daily Show is known for promoting from within - Jon Stewart's former executive producer even started out as an intern on the show. It's a life changing gig for Noah too, with the comedian saying in a phone call from Dubai; "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."

While the new host also tweeted...

You can take a look at Trevor in action below on his first appearance on The Daily Show...