Lilly Singh Makes Television History With Late Night Show Debut

YouTube sensation Lilly Singh made history late Monday when she became the only openly queer woman of color to host a late-night show on a major network.

“A Little Late With Lilly Singh” took over the 1:35 a.m. slot on NBC, which “Last Call With Carson Daly” held for 17 years. But, in honor of her roots, Singh debuted her first episode at 10 p.m. Monday on YouTube.

Singh is the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada and came out as bisexual earlier this year. She rose to fame under the name “Superwoman” on her YouTube channel, which amassed nearly 15 million subscribers. Singh also penned the bestseller, “How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life.” Readers selected the book as the winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards - Best Nonfiction in 2007.

She joins a short list of women who have hosted late night shows on major networks. 

In her first monologue, Singh joked that viewers at home must be confused about why “Slumdog Millionaire” was on TV after Seth Meyers, adding that the media had mentioned her skin tone and sexuality so much that she may as well call her show “A Little Late With Bisexual Woman Of Color.”

“A little long but it has a nice ring to it!” she quipped.

Singh also thanked the many successful, powerful women of color who had paved the way for people like her, giving shoutouts to her friend Mindy Kaling (who appeared as the first guest on the show), former first lady Michelle Obama and, last but not least, the brown M&M.

Singh also appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon before her program’s premiere, and thanked NBC for being “the only network where a woman can have a show after midnight that allows her to keep her clothes on.”

Watch the first segments released from the show below: