Bassem Youssef is an Egyptian comedian, television host and former heart surgeon.
He is known for hosting El-Bernameg, a satirical Egyptian political news program, from 2011 to 2014.
Youssef has been compared to American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire influenced his work.
He graduated from Cairo University’s Faculty of Medicine, majoring in cardiothoracic surgery, in 1998, and practiced as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Egypt for 13 years before moving into comedy and political satire.
Youssef’s current projects include Tickling Giants, The Democracy Handbook and Revolution For Dummies.
He has also performed stand-up comedy in English.
In 2014, Youssef announced the termination of El-Bernameg due to pressure on both the show and the airing channel, citing fear for his personal safety and his family’s safety as strong reasons for him to stop.
Bassem Youssef wife
Youssef’s wife is Hala Diab, an Egyptian-Palestinian woman.
They got married in October 2010 and have two children named Nadiya Bassem Youssef and Adam Bassem Youssef.
Hala is a cardiothoracic surgeon and prefers to stay away from the spotlight, occasionally making red carpet appearances to support her husband.
Bassem Youssef career
Youssef began his career in comedy in 2011 during the Arab Spring.
He is often compared to American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire program The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career.
Youssef began filming political satire in his laundry room and posting it to YouTube.
He was eventually picked up by a big television network and broadcast his show, The Programme.
At its peak, it had between 30 and 40 million viewers each week, more than a third of Egypt’s entire population.
Youssef’s show, The Programme, was a political satire show that covered current events in Egypt and the Middle East.
He used humor to criticize the government and other powerful figures, which made him a controversial figure in Egypt.
Youssef is often compared to Jon Stewart, as both comedians used political satire to criticize their respective governments.
He was even hosted by Jon Stewart on his show in 2012.
Youssef ultimately fled Egypt due to government pressure and now lives in Los Angeles with his family.
He has started a new American comedy career, including stand-up appearances and a podcast.
Youssef’s current projects include Tickling Giants, The Democracy Handbook, and Revolution For Dummies.
He has also performed stand-up comedy shows in the US.
Despite the challenges he has faced, Youssef has continued to use his platform to speak out against authoritarianism and promote free speech and democracy.
Bassem Youssef support for Palestine
Youssef has expressed support for Palestine in various interviews.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, he accused him of comparing Israel to the terror group ISIS and dove deeper into the satirical well to describe the atrocious conditions Palestinians are facing in Gaza, as well as the threat of non-stop violence they are subjected to from the Israeli military.
Youssef blamed propaganda that dehumanizes Palestinians for the recent murder of a 6-year-old child and even compared Israel to the evil supervillain from the TV show The Boys.
He also noted that his wife’s family lives in Gaza and their house was bombed, and they haven’t been able to communicate with them in the past three days.
In another interview with Piers Morgan, Youssef noted that his wife’s family had fled their home in Gaza after it was bombed and that Israel will kill as many ‘sons of bitches’ as it wants to since it can and because the conflict has never been proportionate or equal.
He also described the relationship between the United States and Israel to that of an abusive partner who convinces you that you are at fault in the wake of abuse.
Youssef has also expressed his opinion on social media, where a video clip of him countering Piers Morgan in an interview for allegedly comparing Israel to the terror group ISIS went viral.
He mocked the Israeli Defence Forces or IDF and said, ‘I applaud Israel for doing something no military force in the world does. It warns civilians before bombing them, that is so cute.’
He also asked why people were being killed in the West Bank where there is no Hamas presence.
