It’s been a good seven-year run for Trevor Noah as the host of “The Daily Show,” which is why Roy Wood Jr. figured it was time for him to be honest about who he really is.
That was, at least, the premise of the Birmingham comic’s question to the departing host of the satirical news cast on Comedy Central.
Wood, a Daily Show correspondent, used his time during Noah’s final show to urge Noah, the South African-born comic, to “fess up” about his past.
“Just admit it – you ain’t African for real,” Wood said, to an incredulous Noah.
“What are you talking about?” Noah replied.
“I used to run credit cards in Birmingham back in ‘96 with a dude who looked just like you!” Wood said, saying that Noah’s name “back then” was Slippery J., only he had shorter hair. “I’ve been keeping my mouth shut about it because we got a good thing going here.”
He then unwound a complicated story about the credit card scam that involved a change of clothes.
“You gonna look me in the eye and tell me you wasn’t with me at the Walmart on Lakeshore Parkway in 1996?” Wood asked, to the delight of the audience, before contending that Noah’s accent was fake to “get the job.”
You can see the exchange here, with Noah’s later admission.
