Chelsea Handler has decided to end her E! talk show Chelsea Lately after eight years, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The talk show host's contract is up at the end of teh season and there has been much speculation about whether she would be renewing her contract. Handler's manager, Irving Azoff said in an official statement, "Chelsea intends to leave when her contract expires. She hired me to figure out her life after E! We have at least seven suitors and many ideas." According to Azoff, Handler could wind up on a radio show or hosting another television talk show. Handler's representatives at CAA have been setting up meetings with FX, Sony Television and Lionsgate.
An E! spokesperson stated to THR: "Chelsea has nine months left on her contract and E! will not comment on the future of Chelsea Lately at this time." Handler is rumored to be making about $9 million annually. "Chelsea Lately" brings in an average viewership of 572,000 per night (down from 839,000 in 2010). Ad revenue also has dipped to $134.5 million, according to Kantar Media. However, Handler stands as the only female late-night host with a solid viewership in an industry dominated by male hosts across broadcast and cable.
The news is not too surprising, as Handler has long been vocal about her dissatisfaction with the E! network. On March 5, on Howard Stern's radio show, Handler described E! as "a sad, sad place to live. They don't know what they're doing. They have no ideas. It's a failure." Furthermore, as Handle has been at the top of her game with multiple sources of revenue aside from her show. Her newest book "Uganda be Kidding Me" topping the New York Times best-seller list for more than a week. Handler is also in the midst of a tour with dates overseas, which is "a massive piece of business" according to Geof Wills, president of Live Nation Comedy. She will also shoot her first stand-up special at the Harris Theatre in Chicago in June to air on cable in October.
According to Chelsea Lately's website, it looks like the last episode to air of "Chelsea Lately" is going to be April 10, 2014, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
