Comedian and YouTube star Lilly Singh will take over outgoing NBC late-night host Carson Daly’s time slot, the network announced Thursday, making her the only female late-night host currently on a major broadcast network when her new show premieres in September.
The daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, Singh, who recently came out as bisexual, will also be one of the few women of color and queer women in late-night comedy.
“An Indian-Canadian woman with her own late night show? Now that is a dream come true,” she said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to bring it to life on NBC, and I hope my parents consider this to be as exciting as a grandchild.”
Singh revealed the news while appearing on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Thursday night. Fallon and fellow NBC late-night host Seth Meyers did a Champagne toast for her and posed for what Fallon joked was “a cheesy family photo.”
Singh rose to fame through her YouTube comedy channel, “IISuperwomanII,” which has more than 14 million followers, producing sketches frequently referencing her immigrant background and being open about her mental health. In addition, she has acted in movies such as “Bad Moms” and HBO’s “Fahrenheit 451.”
Her half-hour show, “A Little Late With Lilly Singh,” will feature guest interviews and comedy sketches, according to NBC.
The new show will be “kind of like my YouTube channel, but just, you know, now I have more than three staff members, and my sound guy won’t also be an extra and won’t also write the script,” Singh told Fallon.
Daly, who has hosted “Last Call With Carson Daly” for almost two decades, announced in February that he was stepping down to spend more time with his family and focus on his other NBC shows, hosting “The Voice” and co-hosting “Today.”