TORONTO - Canadian comedy giant Russell Peters is stepping back from comments in which he accused incoming "Daily Show" host Trevor Noah of stealing his material.

The Brampton, Ont.-bred comic told a reporter with Channel NewsAsia's show "Conversation With" that Noah is a "thief."

But after the story was picked up by news outlets around the world, Peters took to Twitter to dismiss the accusations as nothing more than a joke.

He tweeted to Noah: "I can't believe how gullible the media are! Next time I'll choose a less awkward time to prank U!"

Peters can be seen making the comments in a videotaped interview from Singapore making the rounds online.

His world tour, Almost Famous, hits Ontario and Quebec in May and British Columbia in November.