Could comedienne Chelsea Handler replace David Letterman on his CBS late-night show? Letterman announced his retirement during a Thursday afternoon (Apr. 3) taping of his show "Late Show with David Letterman."
The 66-year-old funnyman told a stunned audience that he would not return to his hosting gig once his contract expired next year. Following his announcement, rumors began circulating that Handler and Stephen Colbert were in the lead as replacements, the Daily Mail reports.
Handler recently announced that she was leaving the E! Network when her contract is up at the end of the year. According to reports, she has nine months left on her contract. Handler's manager, Irving Azoff, broke the news to The Hollywood Reporter.
"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," Azoff said.
According to THR, some of those "suitors" could include a radio presence or possibly a nightly or weekly late-night show on a different network. If the rumors are true and Handler is in the running as Letterman's replacement, she would more than likely have to tone down soome of her raunchy jokes. Handler's manager has reportedly been meeting with different companies to discuss what the TV personality will do once she leaves E!.
A source told THR that Handler might have to consider taking a pay cut - she supposedly makes $9 million a year at E! - because other networks won't pay her what her current network does. There were also reports that other companies were a little weary about her because she has made several public comments bashing E!.
During a radio appearance on Howard Stern's show, she said the network was a "sad, sad place to live."
"They don't know what they're doing. They have no ideas. It's a failure," Handler added.
"When you see talent go after a network like that, you think one day it could be me," the source told THR.
Shortly after news broke of Letterman's retirement, Deadline Hollywood founder Nikki Finke tweeted, "My sources say Stephen Colbert 'the only one on air currently that CBS is considering.'"
Colbert currently hosts "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central.
Who do you think should replace David Letterman?
