Melbourne’s hilarious Ronny Chieng has just been named as one of The Daily Show‘s three new correspondents as Trevor Noah takes over from Jon Stewart on the US television institution.
The announcement sees the young Aussie’s rapid rise to fame continue since his first gig just four years ago continue, the Melbourne comic going on to win best newcomer at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2012.
A regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and Montreal Just for Laughs festivals, and having appeared on television in Legally Brown, It’s A Date, This is Littleton and Have You Been Paying Attention?, Chieng has been a fan of The Daily Show and Jon Stewart since his university days.
“I’m a fan of Jon Stewart just in the way any other university student in the mid-2000s would be. That’s the demographic, right, when you’re in university? … In law school, we were all fans of Jon Stewart. I don’t know any right-wing law students.”
One of three new correspondents, joining actress Desi Lydic, (Awkward, We Bought A Zoo) and actor, stand-up comic and radio personality Roy Wood Jr, Chieng had been due return to Australia for a comedy tour, but will now be heading to New York to put together field pieces or commentary segments for the program with his fellow correspondents.
Some shows on his You Don’t Know What You Are Talking About tour have had to be cancelled however, full details at the bottom of the article.
Unsure of the details regarding what type of pieces he might be working Chieng said, “I’m going to New York on Tuesday and that’s where we kind of hammer out the show details I guess.”
When asked whether or not he would be bringing an Australian sensibility to the show, he was quick to point out “I’m not Australian.” The Malaysian-born Chinese comic went on to add:
“I have lived there for 10 years and went to university there and I started comedy there so inevitably I bring a certain amount of expertise in Australianisms. I don’t dare call myself a full-blown expert but I have a certain amount of knowledge about it. But I started my comedy in Melbourne, Australia, so there’s going to be a little bit of it every time I get on camera, every time I write a joke. So to answer your question: yes.”
Check out Ronny in action below at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2013
Regarding cancellations on Ronny Chieng’s You Don’t Know What You Are Talking About tour, ticket holders are being contacted and will receive refunds for cancelled shows in Perth (October 9), Darwin (October 16), Geelong (October 22), Bendigo (October 23), Newcastle (October 31) and Brisbane (November 7).
Chieng will still perform in Canberra (October 29), Chatswood (October 30) and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre (November 19, rescheduled from September 25).
