Chelsea Handler begins Netflix chapter with stand-up special premiering Friday

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Chelsea Handler is proud of herself for knowing when to say when.

And the outspoken comedian says she knew when it was time to say goodbye to her E! talk show, “Chelsea Lately.”

Handler ended the seven-year run of the show in August.

“The last two years were not pleasant for me,” she said in a recent interview. “It wasn’t brutal. It was an easy job, but I was just bored. I was bored of myself. I was bored of the topics. I was bored of being at work and I just needed to spread my wings. I just needed to get out of there.”

Handler announced in June that she had struck a deal with online TV network Netflix. A stand-up performance based on her bestselling book and comedy tour “Uganda Be Kidding Me” debuts Friday.

Next year, she’ll create four docu-comedy specials on topics like Silicon Valley and the NBA draft, where she’s a “fish out of water,” and then she’ll star in a talk show on Netflix in 2016.

“I wanted a year to figure out what I want to do. I didn’t want to just step right into another talk show, nor did Netflix,” the 39-year-old Handler said. “They said, ‘No, we want you to have your next phase of your career.’”

Handler said she will feature celebrities on her talk show if there’s a reason to do so. “It has to be my choice. There has to be some intrigue there. It can’t be just somebody promoting something.”

Her favourite part about the show: there’s no template; she’s in unchartered territory.

“I want to do something that I’ve never seen anyone do before because I don’t want to follow anyone, I don’t want to pale in comparison to anyone else. … I trust myself implicitly. I know now that when I have a hesitation, it’s a reason and I should follow my instincts.”

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Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

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Online:

http://www.chelseahandler.com/