Egyptian satirist Bassem Yousuf has been chosen to host the 2015 International Emmy Awards Gala in New York in November.
Yousuf became one of the Arab world’s most famous TV personalities as host of the ground-breaking TV political satire show Al Bernameg (The Programme). He cancelled the show last year after former army chief Abdul Fattah Al Sissi was elected president.
Bruce L. Paisner, head of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, says in a statement on Monday that Yousuf “has been dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab world but in fact his talent has no borders.”
Yousuf is a resident fellow this spring at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He says that as the first International Emmys host from the Middle East, he hopes to spotlight “the vibrant entertainment industry” in his region.