In a decision many might consider a blow to freedom of dissent in Egypt , one of the nation 's most popular comedians , Bassem Youssef , announced on Monday his political satirical show will no longer air on Egyptian TV . Youssef did n't offer a detailed explanation for his decision but suggested outside pressure and a fear for his safety were factors . `` I 'm tired of struggling and worrying about my safety and that of my family , '' Youssuf said at a news conference inside a Cairo theater where he performed his weekly show . Youssef shot to fame during Egypt 's 2011 revolution when he mocked former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak on his homemade political satire show -- shot in his laundry room and posted on YouTube . His show `` El Barnameg '' -- `` The Program '' in Arabic -- drew more than 5 million viewers in three months . One year later later , Youssef had his own show on Egyptian TV where he derided Mubarak 's replacement , Islamist President Mohamed Morsy . By then , Youssef had gained worldwide recognition and was regularly compared to American political comedian Jon Stewart . In April 2013 , Time magazine named Youssef one of its 100 Most Influential Men in the World . Several months later , Egyptian broadcaster CBC pulled the plug on Youssef when he poked fun at the almost cult-like adoration of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi -- the former Army chief who is now Egypt 's President- elect . Youssef made a comeback in February when Saudi-owned Egyptian broadcaster MBC began airing his show . Once again , he drew huge ratings and laughs with carefully crafted back-handed jokes aimed at the army chief . Youssef 's return was cut short before Egypt 's presidential election campaign last month when MBC announced the show would be on hiatus so that `` Egyptian voters ' orientation and public opinion wo n't be influenced . '' But the show never returned to air as scheduled on May 30 . The end of Youssef 's show will likely fuel concern among international rights groups and pro-democracy activists who have increasingly accused Egyptian authorities of stifling dissent and freedom of speech . `` In a nutshell , we 've gone as far as we can , '' Youssef said . `` We are tired of moving from one network to another network and being under emotional pressure . '' Bassem Youssef : 'Sarcasm is a weapon '
Bassem Youssef : `` I 'm tired of ... worrying about my safety and that of my family , '' He shot to fame during the 2011 revolution when he mocked Hosni Mubarak . Hide Caption