Lilly Singh is going back to her YouTube roots. And honestly, it’s about time.
The comedian and former late-night host, who rose to internet fame in the 2010s as Superwoman, officially returned to YouTube on Thursday, Oct. 15, with her first sketch comedy video in nearly five years. Titled “My First Day Back at YouTube,” the video marks the beginning of a new chapter for one of the platform’s original breakout stars.
For longtime fans, that means the return of Singh’s observational comedy, exaggerated characters, and culturally specific humor. But don’t expect the same sketches about high school crushes and strict parents that helped make her famous. Singh is 38 now, and her comedy is growing up with her.
“It’s not back-to-school videos anymore,” Singh told USA TODAY. “It might not be about my first crush anymore. But it’s going to be about like the stuff I’m going through, and me and my friends are going through today.”
According to a press release, Singh’s new YouTube era will feature a mix of situational comedy, cultural commentary, personal vlogs, higher-production digital formats, and collaborations with other creators. Fan-favorite characters will also make a comeback.
For anyone who spent their teenage years watching Singh’s sketches, it’s a welcome dose of nostalgia. But her return also reflects how much the relationship between internet creators and Hollywood has changed.
At the height of her YouTube fame, Singh was among a relatively small group of digital creators who successfully made the leap into traditional entertainment. In 2019, she became the host of NBC’s A Little Late With Lilly Singh, making history as the first woman of Indian descent to host a late-night show on a major American broadcast network. The show ran for two seasons before ending in 2021.
Singh has since expanded her career into acting, producing, writing, and sports ownership, including the 2025 comedy film Doin’ It, which she co-wrote, produced, and starred in.
But working within Hollywood’s traditional systems also came with creative limitations. “I think being in that system for a while has made me feel restricted creatively,” Singh told USA TODAY, describing the experience of going from creating videos alone in her room to navigating a system of gatekeepers and creative notes. For someone who built an audience by doing things her own way, it was a major adjustment.
And in some ways, Singh is returning to a very different YouTube than the one she left. The platform has evolved into an entertainment ecosystem of its own, where creators can build production companies, develop original programming, and reach massive audiences without necessarily relying on traditional Hollywood gatekeepers.
For Singh, though, the motivation seems much simpler. She wants to have fun again. “I feel like we don’t prioritize joy enough, and this is something that brings me so much joy,” she told USA TODAY.
She also acknowledged that she’s returning from a different place in her career. Unlike her early YouTube days, when views translated directly into opportunities and financial stability, she no longer feels the same pressure to make every video a hit. After all, Singh has already experienced the kind of mainstream success that an earlier generation of YouTubers dreamed about.
Now, she’s returning to the thing that started it all, not because she has to, but because she wants to.
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