Amidst a mass exodus from late-night tv that’s introduced an finish to Full Frontal With Samantha Bee and Desus & Mero, in addition to the exits of James Corden from The Late Late Present and Trevor Noah from The Every day Present, it’s simple to surprise who even desires to be a late-night host anymore. The reply to that may be Chelsea Handler—who made her debut behind the Every day Present desk on Monday, and in addition grew to become the primary visitor host to brazenly pitch herself as a everlasting alternative.
Comedy Central’s flagship program took a five-week hiatus after Noah’s sudden exit earlier than welcoming visitor hosts Leslie Jones, Wanda Sykes, and D.L. Hughley. Every of them performed it cool, demurring or downright denying any everlasting Every day Present aspirations. However since visitor internet hosting every week of Jimmy Kimmel Reside! final summer time, Handler says she’s able to return to the day by day TV grind. “Strolling into a superbly run operation, having an A group and me being on my A recreation—it was simply nice, each facet of it. I cherished it. It made me keep in mind why I do this, and why I need to do it once more,” the longtime Chelsea Recently host lately mentioned on The Every day Beast’s The Final Snigger podcast. “I used to be like, ‘Oh, that is what I’m imagined to be doing. I’m imagined to be taking the information, regurgitating it out for everyone regularly. That’s what I’m good for.”
Handler helmed her E! sequence from 2017 to 2014 and was floated as a doable alternative for Dave Letterman earlier than transferring on to Netflix’s first discuss present, a self-titled enterprise that lasted simply two seasons, from 2016 to 2017. Within the lead-up to her week at The Every day Present, Handler positioned herself as one of the best of each internet hosting worlds: a legacy choose with years of expertise and a breath of contemporary air in an business that’s nonetheless one way or the other male-dominated. “There are too many white males doing the identical job,” Handler lately advised Selection, including, “I assumed I made an actual dent by doing my present and proving to folks which you can be a girl and host a late night time present, however it looks as if folks have to be reminded yet one more time. And I may be that particular person to remind them.”
For all of her pre-show campaigning, Handler casually sauntered onto the Every day Present stage Monday night time, providing a sheepish however heat “Hey, guys” because the warm-up comic roasted the gang. She appeared understandably nervous however in excessive spirits as she launched her brother Roy, seated within the entrance row, earlier than promising the viewers was “gonna fucking love” the present. (Some viewers members appeared predisposed to benefit from the episode—together with a number of excited followers I noticed watching clips of Handler’s standup earlier than she entered the studio.)
“That is the place I get to spend every week speaking shit about all of the wackjobs and sizzling messes on the market, however I do it sitting behind a desk as a result of I’m an expert,” Handler mentioned in her signature deadpan, shaking off many of the seen nerves on the high of the present. She then shuffled by means of the day’s headlines—beginning off with the Chinese language balloon {that a} U.S. fighter jet shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. “As you heard, this balloon was the dimensions of three buses,” Handler started. “And for the wealthy folks on the market who don’t know what a bus is, they’re these large yellow autos that deliver Matt Gaetz’s girlfriends to high school.”
Handler gamely sparred with correspondent Dulcé Sloan and appeared in a clip spoofing celebrities who take diabetic drug Ozempic for weight reduction. (“I would like it to host The Every day Present!” she mentioned earlier than tackling a person to the bottom.) Nevertheless it was her skewering of the aforementioned “wackjobs and sizzling messes” that earned Handler’s largest laughs.
