Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Comedian Chelsea Handler has not been shy of late about her desire to make a return to hosting a late-night show. And during her opening monologue as host of the Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday, she did not hold back when it came to roasting the competition.
“I’m just happy to be here tonight supporting the critics’ right to choose,” Handler said early on. “At least someone still has a choice. Unless they’re a female critic and then it depends on what state they live in.”
For the next several minutes, she lightly roasted nominees like The Woman King’s Viola Davis and Gaslit’s Julia Roberts but arrived at Tár’s Cate Blanchett. “In Tár, Cate portrayed an iconic lesbian whose career is upended by her toxic behavior,” Handler said. Then, in a nod to Ellen DeGeneres’ scandal, she drew a combination of laughter and groans when she added, “And she didn’t even have to host her own daytime talk show.”