Bassem Youssef | |
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باسم يوسف | |
 Youssef in 2024 | |
| Born | Bassem Raafat Mohamed Youssef (1974-03-22)22 March 1974 (age 51) Cairo, Egypt |
| Citizenship |
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| Alma mater | Cairo University (MD) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Notable work | Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring (2017) |
| Style |
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| Television | El Bernameg The B+ Show |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Dr Bassem Raafat Mohamed Youssef (Arabic:باسم رأفت محمد يوسف,Egyptian Arabic pronunciation:[ˈbæːsemˈɾɑʔfɑtmæˈħæmmædˈjuːsef]) (born 22 March 1974) is an Egyptian-American comedian, television host, actor and former physician.[2][3][4] Beginning his career withThe B+ Show (2011), which was inspired by his experiences during the2011 Egyptian revolution, he later rose to prominence as the host ofEl Bernameg (2011–2014), a satirical comedy show focused onEgyptian politics. In 2015, Youssef hosted the43rd International Emmy Awards in New York City.
In 2013, Youssef was named on theTime 100[5][6] and onForeign Policy's 100 Leading Global Thinkers.[7][8] His life and career were profiled in the 2017 American documentary filmTickling Giants, and he also authored the bookRevolution For Dummies that same year.[9][10] In 2023, Youssef drew international media attention after engaging in a virtual interview on the British talk showPiers Morgan Uncensored to discuss theOctober 7 attacks and the ensuingGaza war in the context of the broaderIsraeli–Palestinian conflict.[11]
Youssef graduated fromCairo University's Faculty of Medicine, majoring incardiothoracic surgery, in 1998. He passed theUnited States Medical Licensing Examination and has been a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) since February 2007.[12] He practiced as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Egypt for 13 years, until his move into comedy andpolitical satire.[13] He also received training in cardiac and lung transplantation in Germany, after which he spent a year and a half in the United States working for a company that produces medical equipment related to cardiothoracic surgery. In January 2011, Youssef assisted the wounded inTahrir Square during theEgyptian revolution.[14] Youssef has credited surgery for making him "a much harder working person, a nerd, a perfectionist."[15]
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Inspired by the2011 Egyptian revolution, Youssef created his first satirical show in March 2011. The initial idea came from his friendTarek El Kazzaz.[16] EntitledThe B+ Show after his blood type,[17] the program, at 5 minutes per episode, was uploaded to hisYouTube channel in May 2011[18] and gained more than five million views in the first three months alone.[19] The show was shot in Youssef's laundry room using a table, a chair, one camera, and a mural of amateur photos from Tahrir Square that cost $100. The show was a collaboration by Youssef withTarek El Kazzaz, Amr Ismail, Mohamed Khalifa, and Mostafa Al-Halawany. Youssef used social media to showcase his talent and his show gave a voice to the millions of Egyptians who were seething with anger from the traditional media's coverage of the Egyptian Revolution.
After the success ofThe B+ Show, Egyptian channelONTV, owned by Egyptian billionaireNaguib Sawiris, offered Youssef a deal forAl Bernameg (literally,The Program) a news satire show. Youssef had planned to move toCleveland to practice medicine but instead signed his show's contract.[16] With a budget of roughly half a million dollars, the series made him the first Internet-to-TV conversion in the Middle East.[20] The show, which consisted of 104 episodes, premiered duringRamadan 1432 (2011) with Egyptian-American engineer Muhammad Radwan as its first guest.[21] In his show, Youssef has parodied such Egyptian celebrities as show hostTawfik Okasha, composerAmr Mostafa,Salafist presidential candidateHazem Salah Abu Ismail, andMohamed ElBaradei, former head of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency and onetime presidential candidate.[22][23] The show became the platform for many writers, artists, and politicians to speak freely about the social and political scene.[citation needed]Al-Bernameg's success inspired a number of amateur initiatives on various social media channels, who creditThe B+ Show as their inspiration.[19] In June 2012,Jon Stewart invited Youssef toThe Daily Show for an extended interview, "I do know a little something about the humour business; your show is sharp, you're really good on it, it's smart, it's well executed, I think the world of what you're doing down there", Stewart said to Youssef.[24][25]
Tarek ElKazzaz convinced an old friend, Ahmed Abbas, to join QSoft as chief operations officer and Project Director forAl Bernameg.[citation needed] The show was renewed for a second season after a contract with a second channel,CBC, which premiered on 23 November 2012.[26] The second season consisted of 29 episodes and has recorded one of the highest viewership ratings on both TV and internet with 40 million viewers on TV and more than 184 million combined views for his show on YouTube alone.[27][28] The program, which began with a small group working at home with Youssef, moved from ONTV's smallest studio to Radio Theatre in Cairo's downtown, a theatre redesigned in the likeness ofNew York's Radio City, making it the first live audience show in Egypt.[29][30][31] The contents of a typical show's broadcast have evolved, which began with a sarcastic take on current political events, and eventually incorporating the hosting of public figures and stars from various fields, as well as various artists' performances. Following the move, Youssef succeeded in increasing the show's worth by eight times in one year.[32][33] The show gained tremendous success through its criticism of former Egyptian PresidentMohamed Morsi, representing theMuslim Brotherhood.[34][35][36]
On the season's premiere, Youssef made the owner and coworkers of his channel the subject of his show, as an assurance that he is granted full freedom of expression, and that no topic was off limits.[37][38] CBC did not, however, air his second episode, which also featured further criticism of a TV show host who filed a lawsuit against Youssef. The show returned to its regular schedule for the third episode. Just three episodes into the show, several lawsuits were filed against Youssef and his show, accusing him of insultingIslam, Morsi and disrupting public order and peace. In March 2013, Youssef started writing a weekly column expressing his views forAl-Shorouk; one of Egypt's most prominent and independent daily newspapers.[39] Youssef also wrote newspaper columns, where he tackled taboo subjects such as atheism and questioning the commonly held view thatapostasy from Islam should be punishable by death.[40][41][42] On 18 March 2014, he faced plagiarism accusations when he submitted an article toAl-Shorouk, an Egyptian newspaper. Entitled ‘Why Putin does not care,’ the piece was a comment on the events unfolding in Russia. Although it was written in Arabic, sharp-eyed Twitter users spotted striking similarities to a piece called ‘Why Russia No Longer Fears the West,’ by British writerBen Judah, who wrote the article forPolitico magazine. He later published an apology inAl-Shorouk newspaper for initially publishing an article without citing any references.[43][44][45]
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AsAl Bernameg continued with its growing success, Jon Stewart appeared as a guest on the show in June 2013.[46][47][48] On 1 July 2013America in Arabic[49][50] (United Arab Emirates) debuted.[51] He appeared for the second time onThe Daily Show.[52][53][54] After a four-month break,Al Bernameg returned to air onCBC for its third series on 25 October 2013. The season premiere marked the first broadcast for the show since the2013 Egyptian coup d'état had deposed Mohamed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency. Youssef criticised both the Morsi administration and the people's idolization of the Egyptian Defense MinisterAbdul Fatah al-Sisi. The following day the CBC network issued a statement distancing the channel from the political stance taken by Youssef. The CBC network issued another statement, and decided to stop broadcastingAl Bernameg because of violations in the contract signed.[55][56][57][58] Meanwhile, more than 30 complaints against Youssef and the show were filed at the General Prosecutor's office, accusing him of insulting theEgyptian Armed Forces and PresidentAdly Mansour and describing the June 30 protests as a military coup, in addition to disrupting public order and peace. The General Prosecutor transferred some of the complaints for investigation, which were subject to the prosecutor's decision and judgment.[59]
After terminating the contract with CBC, the production company behindAl Bernameg received offers from different TV channels. The third season was scheduled to air during the first quarter of 2014. In February 2014 it was announced that Youssef had signed a deal with theMiddle East Broadcasting Center and that they would start broadcastingAl Bernameg from 7 February onMBC MASR satellite channel.[60]Al-Bernameg achieved unprecedented weekly viewership ratings for 11 consecutive weeks.[27] On one of the shows, Youssef mocked the Egyptian military'sclaims to be able to cure hepatitis C and AIDS.[61] In June 2014, after a six-week break during the2014 Egyptian presidential election campaign, theAl-Bernameg team held a press conference where Youssef announced the termination of the show due to pressure on both the show and the airing channel.[62][63][64][65] He felt that the political climate in Egypt was too dangerous to continue the show.[66][67][68][69][70]
On 1 January 2013, the daily newspaperAl-Masry Al-Youm reported that an Egyptian prosecutor was investigating Youssef on charges of maligningPresidentMohamed Morsi, whose office claimed that Youssef's show was "circulating false news likely to disturb public peace and public security and affect the administration."[71] Despite all of the controversy it sparks,Al Bernameg has been a major success.[72] It is constantly topping the regional YouTube charts, making Youssef's YouTube channel the most subscribed to in Egypt.[72]
On 30 March 2013, an arrest warrant was issued for Youssef for allegedly insultingIslam andMorsi. The move was seen by opponents as part of an effort to silence dissent against Morsi's government.[73] Youssef confirmed the arrest warrant on hisTwitter account and said he would hand himself in to the prosecutor's office, jokingly adding, "Unless they kindly send a police van today and save me the transportation hassle."[74] The following day, he was questioned by authorities before being released on bail of 15,000 Egyptian pounds.[75][76] The event sparked international media attention[77] as well as a segment on Jon Stewart'sThe Daily Show in which he declared his support for Youssef, calling him a "friend" and "brother".[78]
Youssef had been a consistent supporter of the2013 Egyptian coup d'état and was supportive of the media clampdown which included the arrests of several employees of various stations, despite it being carried out by the military with no due process, and celebrated the coup's aftermath in a song and dance number sung to thetune of Old MacDonald.[79][80][81]
Youssef backed the forcible removal ofMorsi, declaring himself "very glad" with the putsch. As news reports were trickling in that dozens ofMuslim Brotherhood supporters had been shot dead by security forces, He tweeted that the entire incident amounted to nothing more than "blood for publicity" and blamed the organisation itself for its supporters being murdered.[82]
Youssef was widely recognized for his bold criticism of the Morsi government, however his approach also extended to labeling many of his opponents as being "Muslim Brotherhood", regardless of their actual affiliations. According to a Vox, "The Youssef who we do not typically see in the United States is the satirist who didn't just challenge the Muslim Brotherhood government — but who went a step further, vilifying the regular Egyptians who supported the Islamist government, characterizing them as lesser citizens or internal enemies in a way that played into Egypt's hate-filled political polarization,Sisi's coup, and the disastrous consequences of both. Indeed, Youssef cheered on the military coup — as well as the bloodshed of anti-coup protesters, because unlike him they were Islamists."[83]
Youssef's support for the military coup and his criticism of anti-coup protesters were evident in his public statements and social media activity. For instance, on 5 July 2013, he tweeted, "MB leadership sending its youths to die at army HQs to victimize themselves against the world. Blood for publicity. Cheap. #not_a_coup." This tweet has since been deleted.[84][85] Following the killing of over 50 protestors in front of theRepublican Guard HQ on the morning of 7 July. Youssef reportedly made no comment other than "Kifaya" (enough) in response to the incident.[86]
Youssef characterized the MB as "the new form of Nazis," a statement he made both on his show and on social media.[86][87]
AfterAl Bernameg ended, the Egyptian police under theEl-Sisi regime raided the offices of the production company, arresting several employees and confiscating their computers. According to Youssef, the police told producer Amr Ismail that they would continue harassing the company if Youssef did not stop speaking publicly at international conferences. The Egyptian courts then levied a E£50 million fine against Youssef in a contract dispute with CBC. In the verdict, the courts condemned satirical television shows and implied that Youssef was disrupting the peace and inciting public unrest. Fearing he would be arrested if he stayed in Egypt, Youssef fled to Dubai on 11 November 2014.[88]
In March 2018, the Court of Cassation canceled the ruling against Bassem requiring him to pay 100 million pounds in compensation in favor of the Egypt Channel Group.[89][90]
In January 2015,Harvard's Institute of Politics (IOP), at theJohn F. Kennedy School of Government, announced that Youssef would be a resident fellow for the spring semester.[91][92] In February 2015, it was announced that Youssef was collaborating withThe Daily Show producer Sara Taksler[93][94] to launch a crowdfunding campaign for her documentary about his experience,Tickling Giants.[95][96] Youssef stated that he couldn't say no to her request to do the documentary as, "at the time, she was working atThe Daily Show, and I didn't want to say no to anybody working with Jon Stewart. So I basically said 'yes' to be on his good side, but I discovered it didn't really make any difference".[97]
In April 2015, Youssef spoke atWomen In The World conference held in New York City.[98][99]
In November 2015, Youssef hosted the43rd International Emmy Awards in New York City.[100][98] In the fall of 2016, Youssef was a visiting scholar atStanford University's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL). His research interests were stated as "political satire and its role in disrupting political, social and religious taboos."[101][102]
In February 2016, it was announced that Youssef had reached a deal withFusion to produce a digital series,Democracy Handbook with Bassem Youssef.[103][104][105][106][107] The show premiered online and in a one-hour broadcast special in mid-July 2016.[108]Tickling Giants, a documentary film about Youssef directed by Sara Taksler, premiered on 14 April 2016, at theTribeca Film Festival.John Oliver andEd Helms were moderators for Q&As at screenings in Los Angeles.[109]
In October 2023, Youssef signed theArtists4Ceasefire open letter, urging PresidentJoe Biden to push for a ceasefire and an end to theGaza war.[110]On 17 October 2023, Youssef drew international media attention after engaging in a virtual interview onPiers Morgan Uncensored, in which he spoke—often satirically—about theOctober 7 attacks on Israel and the ensuingGaza war, as well as the broaderIsraeli–Palestinian conflict. He also drew comparisons with the ongoingRussian invasion of Ukraine and criticized the Israeli military's tactics in theGaza Strip, questioning how theWestern world would perceiveIsrael's response to the attack if it was being conducted by Russian troops.[111][112] The video garnered 17 million views by 22 October, becoming the channel's most viewed video.[113] On 1 November 2023, Youssef was brought back onto the show for an in-person interview afterPiers Morgan visited him inLos Angeles for a more serious discussion, with Youssef mostly refraining from satire and debating with Morgan onantisemitism and the historicArab–Israeli conflict.[114]
Since his interview with Morgan, Youssef has continued hispro-Palestinian commentary by engaging in debates on numerous podcasts and news channels, such as thePBD Podcast,[115]ABC News Australia,[116] theLex Fridman Podcast,[117] theLeBatard YouTube show,[118]TRT World,Al Arabiya,India Today[119] andBBC'sHARDtalk. Regarding the2024 Presidential Election, Youssef stated in the interview that he doesn't care about former PresidentDonald Trump winning but doesn't want PresidentJoe Biden to win re-election. In his words, "All we asked him (Biden) for was a ceasefire. Stop the killing. Stop the killing."[120][121]
In September 2025, Youssef signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated ingenocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."[122]
On 19 April 2024, it was announced that Youssef would joinMehdi Hasan's new media company, Zeteo, as co-host for their new podcast 'We're Not Kidding'.[123][124]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Tickling Giants | Himself | Documentary feature | [125] |
| 2022 | Under the Roses | Actor | Short film | [126] |
| 2023 | Upsidedown | Actor | Short film | [127] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The B+ Show | Himself / Host | YouTube satirical program | |
| 2012-2014 | Al Bernameg | Himself / Host | Also creator; 3 seasons | [128] |
| 2016 | Democracy Handbook | Himself / Host | Also creator; webseries | [129] |
| 2017 | Duck Tales | Sabaf / Toth-Ra | Voice; Episode: "The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!" | [130] |
| 2018 | Apple and Onion | Kobeba / Kofta | Voice; Episode: "Falafel's Fun Day" | [130] |
| Dropout | Himself | Comedy Sucks (with Bassem Youssef) | [131] | |
| 2020 | Ask Bassem | Himself / Host | Also writer; 3 episodes | [132] |
| 2021 | The Problem with Jon Stewart | Himself | Episode: "The Problem with Freedom" | [130] |
| 2022 | Mo | Abood Rahman | 2 episodes | [130] |
| Ramy | Gamal | Episode: "Limoges" | [130] | |
| The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: Jon Stewart | Himself | Television special | [130] | |
| 2023 | Special Ops: Lioness | Amrohi | Episode: "Gone is the Illusion of Order" | [133] |
| Upload | Miro Mansour | 4 episodes | [130] | |
| 2024 | Arabs Got Talent | Judge |
In 2013, Youssef was named one of the "100 most influential people in the world"[5][6] byTime magazine and one ofForeign Policy magazine's 100 Leading Global Thinkers.[8][7] In November 2013, Youssef's role in the media was recognized by the committee to Protect Journalists, which awarded him with the International Press Freedom Award, along with three other journalists.[134][135][136]
In 2015, Youssef received anhonorary degree and delivered thecommencement address for the College of Online & Continuing Education atSouthern New Hampshire University.[137]Al Bernameg was chosen bySouth by Southwest, one of the largest international interactive festivals, as the first and most successfulinternet toTV conversion story in theMiddle East.Al Bernameg'sYouTube channel was the first channel in theMENA region to reach one million subscribers and was awarded the gold button trophy.[28]
Youssef's comedic style has led to him being dubbed "Egypt'sJon Stewart"[138] after Stewart's satiricalThe Daily Show, which had itself inspired Youssef to pursue a career in television.[139][140][141] In 2013, he was named onTime 100.[5]
On 2 May 2024, Bassem Youssef was awarded the ″Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse″,College Historical Society,Trinity College Dublin. In his talk he spoke about advocacy forPalestine and theIsrael–Gaza war, being arrested for jokes, and the crackdown on free expression.[142][143]
In 2010, Youssef married Hala Diab, with whom he has two children.[144] The family resides inLos Angeles, California.[144][145] Diab is halfEgyptian and halfPalestinian; her Palestinian family is originally fromRamla and was displaced to theoccupied Gaza Strip during the1948 Arab–Israeli War.[146][147] Youssef identifies as aMuslim.[148] He has refused to return toEgypt while it is under the rule ofAbdel Fattah el-Sisi.[149][150] Youssef became a naturalised American citizen in 2019.[1]
Since leaving Egypt, Youssef and his family have lived in Los Angeles. He became a US citizen in 2019.
During a lengthy appearance on Talk TV's Piers Morgan Uncensored, Youssef—who has been called Egypt's Jon Stewart—
As a Muslim and Arab, Youssef aspires to bring new perspective for the American audience.
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