Originally appeared on E! Online
Chanel West Coast is ready to be off the red couch and in the driver’s seat.
The 35-year-old is leaving Ridiculousness behind her, but she’s doing so to bring her fans even more epic content. And for those who will be sad to see her leave the MTV series after 12 years as host, she assures them it was the right thing to do.
“I think this was just the natural time,” she told E! News’ Francesca Amiker in an exclusive interview. “And that it was the natural evolution of me. I think my fans saw everything I was doing outside of Ridiculousness, and I would constantly get comments and stuff like, ‘When are you gonna have your own show? When do we get to watch this?’ So it was just the natural next step.”
But while the decision may have come as a surprise for some, having her very own show has been a goal of Chanel’s long before she was ever on a TV screen (one that has finally come true, with the premiere of West Coast Hustle on July 18).
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“I've been manifesting this since I was a little girl,” she explained. “I have video clips when I was a kid being like, ‘This is my TV show. It's better than MTV and VH1.’ And I was saying that when I was eight, so we've really manifested where we are now.”
And even while hosting the MTV hit series, Chanel—who is mom to 20-month-old daughter Bowie Breeze with boyfriend Dom Fenison—was always thinking outside of the box.
“I've always wanted to show the world what I was doing outside of Ridiculousness,” she added. “I was pitching trailers, trying to get somebody to pick up a show for a while, and nobody was biting at first. And I think the universe has plans for us. It's funny, once I had my baby, Bowie, it's like the blessings kind of just started rolling in.”
Because it was after Bowie, Chanel explained, that MTV called and said they wanted to give her a show and platform of her own.
And her new series West Coast Hustle—premiering July 18 on MTV—will show Chanel like fans have never seen her before.
“This is a really in depth look into my life,” the singer explained. “The world is about to get to know Chanel West Coast on a whole new level. You guys have seen me laughing and smiling for a very long time, but now people are going to get to see me cry. They're going to get to see the struggle. They're going to see that I am not a robot.”
As the mom, recording artist and business owner simply put it, “It’s a lot going on.”
Chanel shared the news she was leaving Ridiculousness in March 2023, sharing at the time, “I'm sad to say goodbye to the show but very excited to announce my next big venture with MTV/Paramount. It's time for me to step off the red couch and step into the role of executive producer."
And while the show will be in good hands with Chanel’s recently announced replacement— Lauren "Lolo" Wood—Chanel’s presence will always be felt.
"The personality. The laugh. The presence," the show wrote on Instagram following the news of Chanel’s departure. "While we'll miss Chanel on this iconic red couch, we can't wait to see all of the amazing things she has in store for this next stage of her artistic career."
So don’t miss the premiere of West Coast Hustle on July 18, and keep reading for all the shows coming out throughout the rest of 2024.
Welcome to Plathville (TLC) - July 16
The Ark (SYFY) - July 17
Unprisoned (Hulu) - July 17
Those About to Die (Peacock) - July 18
The West Coast Hustle (MTV) - July 18
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (MTV) - July 23
The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets (MTV) - July 23
2024 Summer Olympics (NBC & Peacock) - July 26
Wild 'N Out (VH1) - July 29
The Umbrella Acadmey (Netflix) - Aug. 8
The Braxtons (WE TV) - Aug. 9
The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras (MTV) - Aug. 14
Bel-Air (Peacock) - Aug. 15
Emily in Paris (Netflix) - Aug. 15
The Anonymous (USA) - Aug. 19
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - Aug. 27
American Ninja Warrior (NBC) - Summer 2024
Password (NBC) - Summer 2024
The Wall (NBC) - Summer 2024
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock) - Sept. 5
Universal Basic Guys (Fox) - Sept. 8
Agatha All Along (Disney+) - Sept. 18
Rescue: HI-Surf (Fox) - Sept. 22
The Voice (NBC) - Sept. 23
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