Don't forget to set your DVRs; Lilly Singh's first late night show premieres tonight

All the pre-show hype releases say Lilly Singh's debut show of A Little Late with Lilly Singh will air tonight, Sept. 16, at 1:30 a.m. What's weird is that 1:30 a.m. is actually Sept. 16, tomorrow morning.

That's a little late for those of us who have to go to work the next day, so I expect recording devices to be in full throttle tonight, or next morning, ... whatever.

Singh, a Youtube sensation with over 15 million followers, was picked to be the new late night talk show host for NBC, replacing Carson Daley, which ran for 17 years.

“This one’s for the culture… it’s not just about my own milestone — it’s about minorities, it’s about women of color, it’s about paving a path," she said on the Today Show this morning.

The Indian Canadian comedian/rapper is making history as the first Asian host for a nationally syndicated talk show and the only woman to host a late night talk show. No pressure there.

For her first show, comedian-actor-writer-producer Mindy Kaling will be her first-ever guest.

OK, so technically, the advance press releases might be accurate because NBC will stream Singh's first episode on YouTube at 10 p.m. ET Monday on the show's YouTube channel, about three-and-a-half hours before the on-air debut. For us West Coasters, that means we'll be able to watch the show anytime after 7 p.m.

Besides Kaling, the other scheduled guest will be Rainin Wilson, Kaling's costar on the long-running The Office.

Other guests scheduled for A Little Late's inaugural week are Saturday Night Live mainstay Kenan Thompson (Sept. 17) when I hope they talk about SNL's new cast member Shane Gilles, Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross (Sept. 18) and comedian Chelsea Handler (Sept. 19).

I include a touching video that introduces a fan known only as True, Lilly Singh's Asian Canadian super fan "True," whose appearance was made possible by the Make A WIsh Foundation. 

Singh, seeing the shuttered doors to Hollywood a formidable obstacle, like many Asians, used Youtube as a venue to introduce herself and gain experience. After a brief "mental health break" last year, Singh was picked for the late night slot.

Not forsaking her legions of social media fans around the world (as you might imagine, she's wildly popular in Asia playing to sold out concert venues), The Youtube stream will include the full first episode of A Little Late, along with some additional content airing directly before and after the show.

Singh told The Hollywood Reporter that in addition to the on-air content, the show will feature web-only sketches on its YouTube channel: "I think of the show as launching at 1:30 a.m. and then it has a life for the next 24 hours."

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TGIF Feature: YouTube star Lilly Singh is burned out and is taking a mental health break

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Popular YouTuber Lilly Singh needs a break, she says.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS, one of the most popular content creators on YouTube is taking a break.

Lilly Singh, AKA "Superwoman," needs a vacation. In a video (of course) she made it clear that she's not quitting YouTube, the video platform that made her one of the world's most popular YouTubers.

“I am mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted,” she told viewers in her video. “I think there’s a lot going on up here that I need to address that I’m not able to, constantly pumping out content.”

"I want to be honest with you, I could be happier," she says. "I'm not my optimal happiness right now, I could be mentally healthier. I don't feel like I'm completely mentally healthy. There's a lot going on up here that I need to address and I'm not able to constantly pumping out content."

I'm familiar with that feeling. After 28 years in journalism, most of it as an editor, I've seen reporters burn out at the constant need to produce content for the never-satisfied "Daily Beast.," whether it be a story, a brief, a caption, an expose exposing corporate graft or marking a centenarian's birthday.

The constant pressure to produce grew as the corporate media moguls gobbled up family-owned newspapers. Reporters felt like they were simply cogs in a machine.

In Singh's case, despite the glory and fame that came with her YouTube channel, the pressure seems to be self-inflicted. Singh admitted that she's not been happy with some of her latest content.

She's run into a wall that's iimpacted other content creators. They aren't paid by YouTube for all their hard work, n some cases, risk-taking. That has led to criticism of exploitation. However, YouTube offers them a platform for which they can become famous and that could lead to monetary benefits through sponsorships and endorsements. In Singh's case, some estimate her worth around $16 million.

The Canada-born Singh, 30, is the daughter of Sikh immigrants. She began vlogging in 2010, singing, rapping, just being funny. Her videos have received over 2 billion views, and her channel has accumulated over 14 million loyal subscribers, who feel they have a personal relationship with someone who is funny, creative, rich and famous.

Singh admits that she doesn’t fully understand YouTube’s current culture, which has drastically changed over the years. “I haven’t been super happy with a lot of the content I’ve created,” she says.

“You know, the thing about YouTube is that, in all of its glory, it kind of is a machine," she continued in her video. "And it makes creators believe that we have to pump out content consistently, even at the cost of our life and our mental health and our happiness because if you don’t, then you’ll become irrelevant.” Some of the content she makes, she adds, is “because I think I have to on this platform that demands constant content, but it’s not really a reflection of me.”

Singh emphasizes that she's not leaving YouTube but says she’s unsure how long she’ll be away. “I hope you know that I really need this for my sanity, for my happiness, and to just be better,” she says.

WATCH more of Lilly Singh's videos.____________________________________________________________________________________

Bomb rips through Indian restaurant near Toronto

Police released this photo of the two suspects who covered their faces as they entered the restaurant.

AN INDIAN RESTAURANT was bombed in a Toronto suburb injuring 15 people attending family gatherings.

Police are seeking two suspects who left the homemade bomb before fleeing.

“There is no indication that this is a terrorism act. There is no indication that this is a hate crime at this time. We haven’t ruled anything out as we start our investigation,” said Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans.
The explosion ripped through the Bombay Bhel restaurant located in mall in Mississauga around 10:30 p.m., Thursday (May 24).

Officials said three Indian/Canadians suffered were injured by the blast. Three were wounded seriously and transported to a hospital where they were treated and released. The three hospitalized individuals were a 35-year-old Brampton man, a 48-year-old Mississauga woman, and a 62-year-old Mississauga woman.

Two male suspects fled the scene immediately after the incident. “Nothing was said by these individuals,” said Peel Regional Sergeant Matt Bertram. “It appears they just went in, dropped off this device and took off right away.”

Police described the first suspect as "male, 5’10-6 feet, stocky build, mid-20s, light skin, wearing dark blue jeans, dark zip up hoodie pulled over head, baseball cap with light grey peak, face covered with black cloth material."

The second suspect was described "as 5’9”-5’10”, fair skin, thin build, faded blue jeans, dark zip-up hoodie hood pulled over head, grey t-shirt, dark coloured skate shoes, face covered."

On Friday morning, the restaurant issued a statement on Facebook about the explosion.

“It was an extremely horrific and sad incident that happened at our Hwy 10 location yesterday evening. We want to thank you for all of your support and well wishes, especially to the families that were affected. At this time, the police are undergoing a full investigation to ensure the individuals are apprehended.”

Vikas Swarup, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, tweeted that India’s Consul General in Toronto visited the injured in the hospital. The Indian consulate in Toronto tweeted it had opened a helpline for those seeking assistance following the explosion.