Comedian, presenter and author Chelsea Handler won us over back in 2007 when streaming episodes from her US talk show Chelsea Lately consistently resulted in abundant LMAO-ing (definitely a thing seven years ago). Any of you who were equally as gutted as us to see the show come to an end earlier this year have nothing to worry about, though – she’s made our wildest entertainment dreams come true by signing a brand new contract with Netflix, kicking off their partnership with the live recording of a new stand-up show based on her most recent book (her fourth New York Times Best Seller) Uganda Be Kidding Me.
When The Debrief caught up with Handler for a brief chat, it soon became clear that if we’re going to navigate our twenties based on the example of any celebrity, it should definitely be hers.
Here are the lessons learnt from Chelsea...
It’s OK to be a hot mess, and your twenties are for that.
Ever feel like your career isn’t progressing the way you want it to? Chelsea gets you – in fact, she only initially thought about getting into stand up after making a group of strangers laugh at a court-ordered DUI meeting during her twenties. ‘But you should have some sense of what you want to do,’ she told* The Debrief .* ‘And once you decide, I think then you have even more wiggle room to have fun with that. I mean, I was so uneasy in my early twenties because I just didn’t know if I was going to get a break in this entertainment industry. You don’t want to be a hazard to yourself, but you definitely want to enjoy yourself on the ride to getting where you’re going.’
Try really, really hard not to care what anyone thinks
Let’s face it, someone as polarising as Chels probably wouldn’t have a career if she paid any attention to negative critics. She’s unapologetically brash and bold – characteristics demonstrated that time she called Piers Morgan up on being rude to her on his own show, or the fact that both her Uganda stand-up and book include multiple photos of her doing outdoor-poo’s in the middle of a Safari.
If you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask
Because what’s the worst that can happen?
If you don’t want to turn out like your parents, find other people to look up to
‘I look up to my brothers and sisters… my parents were a great example of what not to do, so I think you either grow up and be like your parents, or you grow up to be exactly the opposite of your parents,’ she told us. ‘My parents were very irresponsible and they were everything I never wanted, so I just always was like, okay, whatever I have to do to not be like that, I’m going to work, work, work, work, work and kind of create the life that I want for myself.’
If the opportunity presents itself, you should definitely date a rapper
Chelsea famously dated 50 Cent after the two of them met and flirted their way through an interview on her show. It ended eventually, as all beautiful things do, but Chelsea often makes witty references to him – including this photo she posted on her instagram last week:
And make sure he has a great sense of humour
Don’t take yourself seriously and ‘be risky’
You’d think having a job like hosting your own TV show would instil the kind of forced responsibility that makes you loose sleep at night, but Chelsea’s just chilled. She never attempts to hide her feelings or sexual and social misdemeanours. ‘I like to take chances and I like to be risky, so I love my life for that reason,’ she tells The Debrief. ‘I get to take huge chances and I get to do whatever I want, and not a lot of people can say that. It’s a huge luxury, and it’s not lost on me.’
Always help a girl out
Look at this photo from a girls night, Chelsea style. It’s enough to make you stare into our empty Facebook events page with despair, eyes dribbling with lonely tears. Is it because she pays for all her mates to go on holiday? Or because she makes the world’s best drinking partner? Who knows, but this clip of Chels jumping to Jennifer Hudson’s aid when the singer’s skirt split during an interview and then helping her laugh it off afterwards is evidence enough that she’d pretty much make the coolest best friend ever.
Co-ordinate your favourite drinks with weekdays
She made Margarita Thursdays a thing for her Chelsea Lately team, and if she’s thinking of doing the same at her new Netflix office, we’re seriously considering packing up and moving over there, too. Because she noticed a gap in the market once Casual Fridays lost their spark, and we respect her for that.
And finally: never get ahead of yourself
Because despite all her cool mates, enviable success and incredible talent, one of the chapters in Chelsea’s new book is about the time she got explosive diarrhoea while walking along a beach and had to hide in a canoe until it was over.
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
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** Follow Helena on Twitter @HezzleHazzle**
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.