There is a surge in unemployment in the world due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Those who have not been laid off indefinitely are furloughed and no one knows when work will resume as usual.
For the 25 crew members working with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, he is going to pay their salaries from his own pocket till production resumes fully.
The entertainment industry is not immune to the fallback the virus has created and one can say life is on pause for many studios and production houses. Which means the ripple effect is being felt by many as we are all advised to stay safe and remain in quarantine till further notice.
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Many show hosts have adapted to the new normal and are hosting their show right from their home, and The Daily Show host Noah is no exception. He started his new home broadcast dubbed, The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah since mid-March.
According to Variety, Noah has been personally paying the salaries of all 25 furloughed crew members ranging from the show’s camera operators to stage managers and stylists. Although his new telecast is now basically a one-man operation that requires little to no help from the entire crew.
A source is quoted as saying, “These are the people who have been on the show with Trevor from day one and help him put on the show. Trevor is personally covering their salaries until the production business opens again. He respects his crew tremendously and feels it’s only right that they get through this together.”
The longstanding political comedy show, which Noah has hosted since 2015 has been a place for people to get apt information on the coronavirus and the government’s response to it on a lighter, but succinct note.
His recent guests have included Dr Antony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the country’s most prominent public figures fighting the disease, NME reported. “The Daily Show” is currently reigning as the number one rated late-night show with Fauci’s interview raking in over 43 million views.
Noah’s self-recorded version of the show will be expanding from 30 minutes to 45 minutes for the first time in the show’s history, Comedy Central announced last week. Noah also made another big announcement of his own on his Instagram.
He will be giving away laptops to educators who have had to re-strategize and work online from home due to the lockdown of schools to prevent the spread of the virus.
Although Noah’s current salary is not public knowledge, Forbes in 2019 reported that he earned 28 million that year mainly from his stand-up. One might say he is in a good position to lend a helping hand, which he is doing effortlessly.
