Fans React to American Comedian Katt Williams Co-signing Trevor Noah: “He’s a Real One"

• Trevor Noah opened up about receiving one of his biggest co-signs of his career after officially moving to the United States
• During a recent podcast discussion, the comedian revealed how he first met Katt Williams at a show, saying the veteran funnyman was the only person who appreciated his humour
• His story was met with mixed reactions, with fans admiring the legendary co-sign while critics slammed Trevor Noah and continued to question his comedic credentials

South African comedy star Trevor Noah has started a massive conversation online after sharing a fascinating story from his early days in America.

On the latest episode of his podcast, What Now? With Trevor Noah, on 21 May 2026, he was joined by Wil Sylvince, a fellow comedian and longtime friend, who traded stories with Trevor about common interests and their love for comedy.

It was during this discussion that the former Daily Show host opened up about the tough transition of moving his career to the United States. He revealed that when he first started performing there, American comedians did not really understand or appreciate his style of jokes.

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He recalled an incident doing stand-up, admitting that his jokes were not landing with his audience.

"I start doing my set, and about a minute in, it was just silent," he said, revealing that the silence was not the audience paying attention to him, but rather a completely blank response to his jokes.

Suddenly, he revealed that he hit a punchline during his set, and while the crowd remained silent, loud laughter broke out in the back. The comedian explained that after hitting another punchline, the laughter erupted again, with the person being heard uttering "Oh, that's funny!"

Trevor revealed that during this time, the quiet audience turned to find where the laugh was coming from, only to realise that it was Katt Williams all along.

He said that after that moment, the veteran comedian introduced himself to him and invited him to sit with his entourage at the venue. Williams later did an impromptu set, where he criticised the Los Angeles audience for failing to appreciate Noah's wit.

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"You ungrateful people don't even understand the level of comedy you were experiencing tonight. This young man from South Africa stood on stage, and he regaled you with some of the finest humour, but you ignorant people of Los Angeles were unable to comprehend what you were experiencing."

Trevor revealed that Katt Williams apologised on the audience's behalf, and he was later approached to make more appearances, all from the awkward experience. He credited Williams for the co-sign.

Watch Trevor Noah's video below.

Social media reacts to Trevor Noah's story

Many netizens expressed deep admiration for Katt Williams, praising the legendary funnyman for using his massive influence to uplift Trevor Noah.

8EightPillars said:

"I swear, every story I hear about Katt is that he’s a real one."

TheMuunah wrote:

"His Katt impression is so good."

MhlangaArchie posted:

"We thank Williams, Kibuuka, and all the other funny guys who showed us what a talent Noah is."

Meanwhile, critics used the story to double down on their long-standing disapproval of the former Daily Show host.

Dafronz1 slammed Trevor Noah:

"So that's why I've never found you funny, but couldn't understand why you were famous."

The_Altered_E said:

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"You're a sellout. You forgot about your country, and don't defend it from those you rub shoulders with."

ataulnitonio roasted Trevor Noah:

"Trevor Noah is like Temu black 90s Bill Maher in 2022. Not funny at all."

Trevor Noah recalls meeting Julius Malema

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Trevor Noah's resurfaced clip, recalling his first time meeting EFF leader Julius Malema.

The video resurfaced after the controversial politician's prison sentence, sparking another debate about Malema's charges.

Source: Briefly News