Smooth operator

Perks of the job include sometimes being asked to be part of a live studio audience for local TV shows. This week I made my way to Urban Brew Studios in Randburg to check out the taping of Tonight with Trevor Noah (Wednesdays on M-Net @ 7.30pm). This is the part where I admit I missed the first episode, only to hear a few negative reviews peppered with words like “awkward”, “cringe worthy” and “unfunny”. Nevertheless, I wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to go behind the scenes of showbiz and, if nothing else, perv over the dreamy Mr Noah. Yes, the man is verging on overexposure – thank you Cell C, Simba, Kulula and SARS - but that doesn’t make him any less funny or oh-so-cute. The truth is that I’ve been after him for years, in a purely professional way of course. Ever since he emceed a hair care function I attended, I set my sights on getting him shirtless… for the magazine, I mean. I even threw myself at him at The Venue a few months later when he was hosting another show and launch party. Polite as always, he told me to email him. I did. About a hundred times. Such a busy guy, he’s probably still going through all his mails. He’ll get to mine eventually. Right after he answers all those Cell C complaints that is…

So back to the show. It wasn’t as awful as I was led to believe. In fact, they seem to be working out the kinks and I had moments of genuine laughter not prompted by the applause sign. Okay, there wasn’t really an applause sign but rather a guy named Lefty encouraging us to make some noise. The funniest moments happened in between takes. Trevor goofing off with his pal Eugene Khoza and guest HHP bursting into an uncanny impression of Sean Kingston, headband and all, had me doing the silent laughter thing when you gasp for breath in a heaving, unattractive kind of way. Sexy.

Once the cameras stopped rolling, the always-generous folk at M-Net ushered us into a room filled with snacks and Savannahs (thanks, Ingrid) as I waited for my chance to making a lasting impression on Trev. He appeared half an hour later and I got a chance to snap a pic with him (thanks, Ingrid) but alas, he didn’t appear to be bowled over by my charm and wit (note to self: not a good idea to make jokes around a stand-up comic, especially not about his black velvet jacket).

In the end, the man barely said two words to me. I guess I can’t really blame him. It must be quite annoying to be bombarded at work by randoms wanting a piece of you. And let’s be honest, it’s not like he needs any more publicity. The next morning, Trevor was back to being cute and funny on 5FM while he defended himself against the inevitable backlash that comes from public success. And he won me over - all over again!