Ladies Night: Black Women Who Deserve Their Own Late Night Talk Shows

The 2024 presidential election didn’t turn out the way we wanted. Now that we’ve had some time to process what happened, the one thing we’re sure of is that we need Black women’s voices more than we’ve ever needed them.

As smart as Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart and John Oliver are, there will be decisions made over the next four years that only we can understand and put into the right comedic context. We need hosts who can effortlessly walk the tightrope of clever political commentary and reacting to the absurd chaos we’re all going to be living through.

To that end, if networks and streaming platforms are looking to make some changes, we have some suggestions for Black women who deserve their own late night talk show.

Michelle Buteau

Michelle Buteau has such a unique, off the wall comedic style. She takes you on an unexpected journey that always ends in absolute hilarity.

Nicole Byer

If you’ve ever seen Nicole Byer host the Netflix baking competition “Nailed It!,” you know that she has the perfect blend of effervescent personality and cutting humor to make a late night show must watch.

Robin Thede

The “A Black Lady Sketch Show” writer/star previously had a late night show on BET called “The Rundown.” However, we’ve always felt she wasn’t given a fair shake. We’d love to see her get back in the game and bring her quick-witted, down-to-Earth style to this current political climate.

Loni Love

The former co-host of “The Real” is someone who loves to tell it like it us, which we will need over the next few years. Her open, personal comedy style makes her feel like a friend who you’re just sitting around telling stories with. Love’s voice would be a welcome change in late night.

Elle Duncan

This may seem like an outside the box choice, but the ESPN personality is knowledgeable, drops great nostalgic Easter egg references, is hilarious and charming. Honestly, we’re shocked she doesn’t already have her own late night talk show.

Leslie Jones

Watching the “SNL” vet deliver her no holds barred stand up is like hanging out with an old friend and having them tell you about their latest adventures. We also need her talking shit about some of these politicians every night.

Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes has done it all, including her own talk show that aired on Fox in the 2009-10 season. Her longevity in the business means she has the connection with mainstream audiences who are already familiar with her uninhibited, honest style.

Michelle Wolf

Michelle Wolf is not afraid to put her foot on these politicians’ necks and that’s the energy we need for the next 4 years. She’s previously hosted the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, her own weekly Netflix talk show and guest hosted “The Daily Show,” so she’s more than prepared for a late night talk show.

Laverne Cox

This may seem like an unexpected choice, but her recent appearance on “The Daily Show” highlighted how her lowkey, subversive delivery can work in this genre.

Yvonne Orji

The “Insecure” star has shown us her range in her stand up specials. Her acting skills, ability to make uncomfortable topics funny and captivating presence are all perfect for late night.

Tracee Ellis Ross

This is a longshot since Tracee Ellis Ross always has multiple projects going at once and likely doesn’t have the time for a late night talk show, but we still want to see her tackle monologues on again gracefully, dealing with insecure men and the intersection of politics and women’s issues.

Amber Ruffin

Amber Ruffin regularly appears on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and CNN’s new series, “Have I Got News For You,” but we’d love to see her get back to doing her own show. Her unique, adorable way of cutting politicians to threads and laughing at herself is so much fun to watch.

Ashley Nicole Black

Ashley Nicole Black has made us laugh as a correspondent on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” and starred on “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” delivering spot on, real world humor both times. We really need someone who’s adept at finding the absurdity in this chaos driven world.

Keke Palmer

We know Keke Palmer doesn’t need another job, but if you’ve seen her on “Password,” “That’s My Jam,” or her own social media channels, then you know she’s a triple threat who’s meant to host a late night talk show.

Yvette Nicole Brown

Not only is she a hilarious actress who can sing, Yvette Nicole Brown is politically informed and frequently delivers biting commentary while informing other social media users about the issues.

Issa Rae

Since she’s a successful movie star and producer, we don’t see Issa Rae hosting a late night show anytime soon. But you know if she wanted to, her monologues and comedy sketches would be hilarious and clever.

Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold

The longtime friends would compliment each other as hosts, vibing off of each other like teammates who always know where the other is going.

Dulcé Sloan

“The Daily Show’s” Dulcé Sloan hasn’t guest hosted as many times as her fellow correspondents, but we think she has the right mix of hilarious outrage, over the top nonsense and total confidence to lead the long-running talk show.