Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Relentless Trevor Noah hits back at Britain again: 'The UK wishes to believe it exists in some post-racial utopia'

The South African comedian, whose stint at The Daily Show came to end recently after seven years, claimed earlier there was a racist backlash as Rishi Sunak became the British prime minister.

Relentless Trevor Noah hits back at Britain again: 'The UK wishes to believe it exists in some post-racial utopia'

Former The Daily Show host Trevor Noah has lashed out at Britain again saying the country wishes to believe that it exists in some post-racial utopia.

In a recent interview with The Times, the South African comedian-political commentator who dons many other hats, said, "The UK wishes to believe it exists in some post-racial utopia."


It was only a few months ago that Noah, 38, alleged that there was a racist backlash in Britain after Rishi Sunak became its prime minister. After the Conservative leader took over the office in October, Noah said there were British people who remarked "now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain".

The commentator came under heavy criticism following his comments made on The Daily Show (he wrapped up the episode in December after a seven-year stint) but it seems he has doubled down on his claims.

In his interview, he discussed how he made use of a caller's clip on radio station LBC who commented that Sunak was 'not even British' and that he 'doesn't love England like Boris (Johnson) does' to claim that there was also a backlash against the new premier.

Sunak, 42, is the UK's first British Asian prime minister.

In his last year's monologue titled 'Unpacking the backlash against new UK PM Rishi Sunak', Noah even described witnessing a 'backlash' after Sunak entered 10 Downing Street.

"What I mean by that is this, you hear a lot of the people saying 'Oh, they're taking over, now the Indians are going to take over Great Britain and what's next?" he said.

"And I always find myself going 'So what? What are you afraid of?"

Noah went on to add, "I think it's because the quiet part a lot of people don't realise they are saying is 'We don't want these people who were previously oppressed to get into power because then they may do to us what we did to them.''

Sunak, who was born in Hampshire, south-east England, to Indian migrant parents -- a pharmacist mother and a GP father -- is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter NR Narayana Murthy, billionaire founder of Indian IT giant Infosys, with whom he has two young daughters -- Krishna and Anoushka.

Noah said despite the criticism he faced from politicians, journalists, and activists who accused him of making things up, he stood by the controversial monologue.

According to him, those who criticised him had neither seen the 'context' nor watched The Daily Show.

Noah said there is always 'a small group' and he was not saying that the entire country was racist.

When asked by Times journalist Janice Turner as to why he used the single LBC caller's clip to demonstrate his claim, Noah replied, "It almost seems like you’re saying, ‘Why stamp out that moment of racism when it’s not the predominant force?’ I think every moment of racism should be stamped out."

He then said while hitting back at the criticism he faced in the UK, "It is interesting that the UK wishes to believe it exists in some post-racial utopia."

Former British chancellor and health secretary Sajid Javid shared the clip on Twitter to write, "Simply wrong. A narrative catered to his audience, at a cost of being completely detached from reality."

A spokesperson at Downing Street was asked if PM Sunak had also thought Britain was racist, following Noah's viral monologue.

She said, "No he doesn't."

More For You

Thunderstorms to Hit England and Wales: Met Office Issues Alert

The Met Office has cautioned that these conditions could lead to travel disruption

iStock

Weather warning issued for thunderstorms across parts of England and Wales

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued by the Met Office for large parts of southern England, the Midlands, and south Wales, with the alert in effect from 09:00 to 18:00 BST on Saturday, 8 June.

According to the UK’s national weather agency, intense downpours could bring 10–15mm of rainfall in under an hour, while some areas may see as much as 30–40mm over a few hours due to successive storms. Frequent lightning, hail, and gusty winds are also expected to accompany the thunderstorms.

Keep ReadingShow less
Canada invites Modi to G7 summit

India's prime minister Narendra Modi. (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada invites Modi to G7 summit

CANADIAN prime minister Mark Carney invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to the upcoming Group of Seven summit in a phone call on Friday (6), as the two sides look to mend ties after relations soured in the past two years.

The leaders agreed to remain in contact and looked forward to meeting at the G7 summit later this month, a readout from Carney's office said.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Lammy arrives in India for trade and security talks

Foreign secretary David Lammy. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

David Lammy arrives in India for trade and security talks

FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy arrived in Delhi on Saturday (7) for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening economic and security ties with India, following the landmark free trade agreement finalised last month.

During his visit, Lammy will hold wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and is scheduled to meet prime minister Narendra Modi, as well as commerce minister Piyush Goyal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Seema Misra
Seema Misra was wrongly imprisoned in 2010 after being accused of stealing £75,000 from her Post Office branch in Surrey, where she was the subpostmistress. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Seema Misra says son fears she could be jailed again

SEEMA MISRA, a former sub-postmistress from Surrey who was wrongly jailed in the Post Office scandal, told MPs that her teenage son fears she could be sent to prison again.

Misra served five months in jail in 2010 after being wrongly convicted of theft. She said she was pregnant at the time, and the only reason she did not take her own life was because of her unborn child, The Times reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
bradford-murder

Habibur Masum pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Bradford stabbing: Husband pleads guilty to manslaughter, denies murder

A MAN has admitted killing his wife as she pushed their baby in a pram through Bradford city centre, but has denied her murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to manslaughter and possession of a bladed article. He denied the charge of murder. The victim, 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter, was stabbed multiple times on 6 April last year. The baby was unharmed.

Keep ReadingShow less