-Welcome back to "Late Night." We're here with Chelsea Handler.
We were talking backstage.
Obviously, you have a history as being a talk-show host.
But this summer, you filled in for a full week,
for Jimmy Kimmell.
-Mm. -Did a great job. How was it?
Did you find it took you awhile to get your host legs back
or was it immediate?
-No. It was right after Roe v. Wade was overturned,
so I was ready to rumble.
I mean, the timing-- [ Audience laughs ]
The timing couldn't have been any more perfect.
And I have to say, like, I didn't miss doing that
until I did it again, and then, I remembered.
I was like, "Oh, this is exactly what I'm built for."
You know, just kind of, like, real commentary.
You know, about being able to comment on things
in real-time on a platform is a great, you know,
advantage to have and it's a great --
It's something we're definitely missing for --
You know, there is a dirth of women doing this,
and it's not cool anymore.
So I'm definitely going to get back in the mix.
-That's great. -And do it again, yeah.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-I always say, and I'm sure you feel the same way,
like, is that having a platform saves me
from just muttering to myself in the street.
Like, you have, obviously,
standup saves you in the same way.
But I know what you mean.
Like, I would imagine that you step away
and you have more time, and that's great.
But you get it back and it must just be like
right into your veins how much fun it is.
-Absolutely, and it's also, it's like, you know --
You guys are all great and woke and liberal
and you're all for women's rights.
But we need women up there, like, standing up for us
commenting on this.
You know, we like --
It's just, it's crazy in this day and age
that we don't have more females on TV doing the same thing.
So, it just needs to happen, so I'm gonna make it happen.
Alright, well, you're the perfect person
to make it happen.
I know, you did "Chelsea Lately" forever,
but if you did it again
you would have a different name for it.
-Well, "Chelsea Later" maybe.
[ Audience laughs ]
"Chelsea Later Much", yeah. -[ Chuckles ]
You what the other thing is that I think is --
You know, everyone complains. Not everybody complains.
But there's a group of people that complain about
the political correctness that we live in right now.
And, I find that to be annoying.
Because as a comedian, it is your job to be clever
and to think outside the box.
And if somebody puts up parameters in saying,
" You can't be sexist, and you can't be racist."
That's not a tall order. -No.
You know, so, like, I would like to take
all the comics from "Chelsea Lately," those days,
Fortune Feimster, you know, Tiffany Haddish, Jo Koy,
and all the you comics that are coming up now,
and put them together on a roundtable
to comment on what's going on in our current political,
you know, and cultural and social
and everything that's happening,
and show people how easy it is to be funny
without being sexist or racist.
-And I think the other thing...
[ Audience cheers ]
...is you can --
You know, I always kind of say,
"Oh, you can still be sexist and racist, just then,
people are allowed to say 'You're a sexist and a racist.'"
-Yeah. -It's like, that's the part
is it's this weird thing that it's always like,
"No, I deserve diplomatic immunity to do whatever I want."
-Yeah, and I like the challenge of parameters because if you
left me to my own devices, you know,
I mean, I would be in a gutter somewhere.
-Yeah. We all know that.
[ Laughter ]
-Thanks. Thank you. Thank you.
-You have a hosting gig coming up.
You're hosting the Critics Choice Awards
after the holidays. Do you approach that --
So, that's a room that will be full of peers of yours,
people who did great work over the course of the year.
Do you approach it differently than you do a normal gig?
-No. I mean, I think I'm just there to keep the show
moving along, high energy and funny.
I mean, I'm not going to, like, go in on anybody unless --
well, unless there's a really big target.
[ Laughter ] But I mean, it's just more --
-Should somebody be worried if like a cobbler comes over
to their table, like right before your monologue?
-You mean a shoe cobbler or a blackberry cobbler?
-Your blackberry cobbler, yeah. -Yeah, no.
Well, he's open season.
Woody Allen you're allowed to make fun of.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Yeah, no.
Nobody should be really worried.
I just want to make it fun and light.
Those award ceremonies can go on and on for hours,
and they can be so boring.
-Yeah. When you host them, you have to do --
you front-load what you want to say
because over the course of the night, they're just
less and less happy to see you. -Yes, that's right. Exactly.
-You are between them and the after-party at that point.
-I'm going to have to get a second outfit change
that is going to rev things up.
-Okay, that's very smart.
We know at the very least, we have a better outfit coming.
-Especially and you know how shy I am with my body.
-Yes. You're finally coming out of your shell.
We're very happy about it. -I'm ready to show off
everything that I've gotten.
[ Laughter ]
-Will you be skiing this holiday?
-Speaking of topless,
will you be skiing during this holiday season?
[ Laughter ] I do, you guys.
I make a topless video every ski season for my birthday
because -- with a margarita and a joint
because those are two of my passions.
-Yeah. If there was a Chelsea Handler state flag,
it would be those two things. -It would be that, and then it
would be boobs because I love to share my boobs with everybody.
I was so embarrassed of my big boobs when I was a little girl.
Then I finally grew into them, and now I love 'em, you know?
I can't get enough of them.
And I just want to share them with the world
and body positivity and, yeah, look at 'em go.
[ Laughter ] [ Cheers and applause ]
-Well, happy holidays to all of us.
-Happy holidays to the whole wide world.
-Hey, thank you so much for being here.
I cannot wait to see this special.
It's always such a pleasure to have you here.
-Thank you so much, Seth. Thank you.
-Chelsea Handler, everybody.
Her new special "Revolution"
premieres on Netflix December 27th.
We'll be right back with Martin McDonagh.