We already knew 2023 was going to mark the culmination of several TV eras, from The CW’s Arrowverse wrapping up with The Flash’s truncated final season to HBO bidding farewell to brilliant originals Succession and Barry to potentially the final appearance of Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy. It looks like one of cable’s most dependable mainstays is also heading out the door, as MTV’s Ridiculousness spread the news that longtime co-host Chanel West Coast will be making a non-non-non-ridiculous exit after 12 years and 30 seasons of laugh-out-loud silliness.
Chanel West Coast has been laughing her signature laugh at wacky AF internet videos alongside Rob Dyrdek and Steelo Brim since 2011, and I can’t even imagine how many clips they’ve conquered on the show during that stretch. But though that number may have seemed like it’d stretch on forever, its finiteness was confirmed first by Variety, and then by the singer and entrepreneur herself on Instagram. Here’s how she reacted in her post, confirming her TV future is heading in all the right directions.
I’m SO excited for this next chapter! To the fans who are sad I will no longer be on Ridiculousness don’t worry…I have my own docu series tv show coming out soon! I’m also very excited to be stepping into the executive producer seat and develop some amazing tv & film projects for you as well. Thank you to the fans for 12 years of watching & supporting me & thank you @mtv & @paramountco for this amazing opportunity! Love you all & I promise to deliver you some fire music, film & television soon 😘
Though she may be stepping away from one of the shows that made her a household name within the MTV viewership, Chanel West Coast (who also goes by Chelsea Chanel Dudley) is sticking with the parent companies at large. She signed on for an overall development deal with Paramount Media Networks, for which the goal will be to create and executive produce new unscripted series, with the option of also serving as an on-screen star. Her post noted above also mentions films, so it's possible she'll also be working on some feature-length streaming projects in due time.
Brim shared a congratulatory comment below the post:
- Steelo Brim: 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
As anyone who has paid any attention to MTV’s schedule in recent years is well aware, the channel trends to air Ridiculousness for more hours out of the day than it doesn’t, which is easier to do after producing a dozen years’ worth of episodes. So it's not a wildly far-off assumption to think that Chanel West Coast has accumulated as much airtime in those 12 years as hosts such as Pat Sajak or Drew Carey. Not that reruns from those first 30 seasons won't air in constant rotation, but it's definitely going to be a different show without her anchoring things.
But part of the reason behind exiting the show and spreading her creative wings is so that more fans can start to appreciate her for being more than what Ridiculousness has allowed her to showcase. Here's how she worded it in the official release:
After years of being a part of the Ridiculousness family, I’m sad to say goodbye to the show but very excited to announce my next big venture with MTVE/Paramount. It’s time for me to step off the red couch and step into the role of executive producer. My passion has always been to create, whether it is music, clothing, or film and TV. I plan to bring some of my wildest ideas and dreams to life through amazing film & television projects, build my teams, and work with other creatives paving the way on the screen. I’m also very excited for the world to see me beyond ‘the laugh’ and for once, see the real me.
At this point, it's not clear exactly what kind of docu-series Chanel West Coast will be fronting whenever it all comes together, but she sounds extremely excited for it, and that enthusiasm will likely snowball down to the fanbase. There's a good chance we might even see it hitting MTV, VH1 or one of the conglomerate's many other media avenues. She might boost a couple of Paramount+ subscriptions if her new show lands on the streaming service.
Chanel West Coast has been working with Rob Dyrdek since her TV debut, as she served as his receptionist on his show Fantasy Factory, with his late Rob & Big co-star with the late Christopher "Big Black" Boykin popping up on that show and Ridiculousness. She's also worked on MTV's The Hard Times of RJ Berger and Wild Grinders, and branched out to co-star in the fourth season of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, though she left after that season was wrapped.
