This story originally appeared on People.
Trevor Noah has been open about his struggles with women and dating in the past — so how has his game evolved over the years?
“You know what, I’ll tell you this — if anyone has has suffered from acne vulgaris the way I did, you’ll know that that sticks with you,” the Daily Show host told PEOPLE Now. “So I work hard on my self-esteem.”
“A lot of people make that mistake with celebrities and people who are in places that are prominent,” he added. “They go: ‘Oh, you’re just having a good time. You don’t have issues.’ No, everyone’s got issues with self-esteem. Some people do not, but most people do.”
Noah, 33, said he’s found ways to work on his self-confidence (“Just look in the mirror and say nice things to yourself”), but admits that he still struggles in certain areas.
“When I meet a woman, I’m still the kid in high school — I’m still like, ‘Hi, my name is Trevor,’ ” he squeaked, hunching his shoulders uncomfortably.
Luckily, he’s come to realize that many women are forgiving of his lack of game — including, of course, his girlfriend Jordyn Taylor.
“You know what’s nice? A lot of women are really nice people,” he said. “They’ll go, ‘Alright, you idiot, I’ll talk to you.’ And it all works out!”
And while the funnyman has made a career of cracking jokes, he insists no one should ever strike up a conversation with a potential love interest that way.
“Never open with a joke. It is the most horrible thing,” he said. “Jokes require context. Without context, you’re just some random person who came and told someone they fell from [heaven] or some randomness, and if you mess it up you look worse and it seems like an insult. No humor! Just say hello. That’s it!”
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah airs weeknights (11 p.m. ET) on Comedy Central.