Chelsea Handler Expands iHeartPodcasts Partnership With New Network.

Comedian and television personality Chelsea Handler has been creating podcasts with iHeartMedia for nearly a decade. Now she is expanding her creative reach by partnering with iHeartPodcasts for the launch of the Dear Chelsea Network. The multiyear partnership will see the creation of several new shows that are executive produced by Handler, whose flagship five-year-old podcast “Dear Chelsea” is among the video podcasts that iHeart is distributing on Netflix.

“Chelsea has become an incredibly influential voice in the podcasting space with her unique ability to create community among her listeners,” iHeartPodcasts President Will Pearson says in the announcement.

The first new podcast launching on the Dear Chelsea Network will be “You’re the Problem… with Yamaneika.” The podcast hosted by comedian Yamaneika Saunders and her longtime friend and producer Tyree Rush debuts July 15 with a focus on pop culture, in-the-moment current events, news, and politics.

“When I started ‘Dear Chelsea,’ I wanted to give people access to me and build a place where people could come for honest advice, real conversation and a lot of laughter,” says Handler. “Building that community into a network feels incredibly meaningful, especially because I get to launch it with someone I know, love and believe in as much as Yamaneika. She’s one of the funniest people I know, and I can’t wait for people to make her part of their lives the way I have.”

Under the latest deal, all Dear Chelsea Network shows will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts and available everywhere podcasts are heard.

Handler may be best known for her late-night television talk show “Chelsea Lately,” which aired from 2007 to 2014. In 2019, Handler moved into audio when she produced one season of the “Life Will Be the Death of Me” podcast for iHeartPodcasts to support the launch of her book of the same name.

Then in 2021, Handler again teamed with iHeart to launch what has become her flagship podcast with “Dear Chelsea.” On the weekly advice show, Handler, co-host Catherine Law and celebrity guests answer listener questions on everything from love and sex to family issues. It ranked No. 9 among Netflix’s most-watched podcasts during the first quarter, according to Samba TV.