Bassem Youssef

[7][8] In 2023, Youssef drew international media attention after engaging in a virtual interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, in which he spoke about the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

[11] 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.

[14] Entitled The B+ Show after his blood type,[15] the program, at 5 minutes per episode, was uploaded to his YouTube channel in May 2011[16] and gained more than five million views in the first three months alone.

[17] 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.

[citation needed] Following the success of The B+ Show on YouTube and the first season of Al Bernameg on ONTV, Tarek ElKazzaz convinced an old friend, Ahmed Abbas, to join QSoft as chief operations officer and Project Director for Al Bernameg with the mission of developing and upgrading the show into a multifaceted and global brand.

[22][23][24] 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.

[citation needed] 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.

In March 2013, Youssef started writing a weekly column expressing his views for Al-Shorouk; one of Egypt's most prominent and independent daily newspapers.

[29] Youssef also wrote newspaper columns, where he tackled taboo subjects such as atheism and questioning the commonly held view that apostasy from Islam should be punishable by death.

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 writer Ben Judah, who wrote the article for Politico magazine.

[37] Meanwhile, more than 30 complaints against Youssef and the show were filed at the General Prosecutor's office, accusing him of insulting the Egyptian Armed Forces and President Adly Mansour and describing the June 30 protests as a military coup, in addition to disrupting public order and peace.

[44] On 1 January 2013, the daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that an Egyptian prosecutor was investigating Youssef on charges of maligning President Mohamed Morsi, whose office claimed that Youssef's show was "circulating false news likely to disturb public peace and public security and affect the administration.

[47] Youssef confirmed the arrest warrant on his Twitter 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.

[49][50] The event sparked international media attention[51] as well as a segment on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show in which he declared his support for Youssef, calling him a "friend" and "brother".

[56] 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.

"[57] Youssef's support for the military coup and his criticism of anti-coup protesters were evident in his public statements and social media activity.

[60][61] After Al Bernameg ended, the Egyptian police under the El-Sisi regime raided the offices of the production company, arresting several employees and confiscating their computers.

In the verdict, the courts condemned satirical television shows and implied that Youssef was disrupting the peace and inciting public unrest.

[62] In January 2015, Harvard's Institute of Politics (IOP), at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, announced that Youssef would be a resident fellow for the spring semester.

[63][64] In February 2015, it was announced that Youssef was collaborating with The Daily Show producer Sara Taksler[65] to launch a crowdfunding campaign for her documentary about his experience, Tickling Giants.

[73] In October 2023, Youssef signed the Artists4Ceasefire open letter, urging President Joe Biden to push for a ceasefire and an end to Israel-Hamas war.

[74] On 17 October 2023, Youssef drew international media attention after engaging in a virtual interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, in which he spoke—often satirically—about the recent Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war, as well as the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

[95][96] In 2015, Youssef received an honorary degree and delivered the commencement address for the College of Online & Continuing Education at Southern New Hampshire University.

[97] Al Bernameg was chosen by South by Southwest, one of the largest international interactive festivals, as the first and most successful internet to TV conversion story in the Middle East.

Graffiti art depicting Youssef at Tahrir Square in the city of Cairo , 2012
Youssef at the University of California in 2014