In this photo taken Oct. 27 2009 South African comedian Trevor Noah is photographed during an interview. (AP Photo/Bongiwe Mchunu-The Star)

(MSNBC) – Trevor Noah, who will take over hosting duties at “The Daily Show” after Jon Stewart departs next month, anticipates some growing pains.

In an extensive interview with GQ, the South African-born comedian talked about the inevitable hesitance of fans to embrace him.

“A guy doesn’t leave and another guy comes in and there’s no backlash. That never, ever happens,” Noah told the magazine. “The same thing when Larry Wilmore took over from Colbert: ‘Oh, this is never gonna work. This is horrible.’”

Noah, who is still largely unknown to American audiences, grew up under the shadow of apartheid with a black mother and a white father – a relationship that was illegal at the time. He rocketed to fame in his home country telling sometimes politically incorrect jokes that exposed the prejudices of his own people. Now that he is stateside, there have been some cultural adjustments.

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