Chanel Omari — comedian and host of iHeartRadio’s Chanel in the City — took the stage at the iconic Cutting Room in Midtown Manhattan to tape her first-ever live comedy special, 40 Is the New 20. Known for her sharp wit and fearlessly envelope-pushing comedy, Chanel has opened for some of the biggest names in the business, including Leslie Jones, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, and Michael Rapaport. Off stage, she’s built an equally impressive résumé interviewing A-listers like Kevin Bacon, Lindsay Lohan, David Arquette, and Paris Hilton on her beloved radio show and podcast.
Comedian, actress, producer, writer, and iHeartRadio podcast host Chanel Omari just made history. Over Memorial Day Weekend, the multi-hyphenate media personality debuted her first-ever live comedy special, 40 Is the New 20, to a sold-out room of 200 guests in New York City
Behind the magic: 40 Is the New 20 was produced by Matt Feresten (SNL), Ashley Frey, and Sammy Cohen AEP of iHeartRadio. Comedian Taylor Graves kept the energy high as host, while influencer comedian Dom Lionelli had the crowd warmed up and ready before Chanel took the stage.
Known for her fearless humor, celebrity interviews, and wildly relatable storytelling, Chanel delivered a sharp, hilarious, and unapologetic take on what it really means to turn 40 in today’s culture. In a world obsessed with youth, filters, and unrealistic timelines, 40 Is the New 20 flips the script—proving that confidence, reinvention, and authenticity only get better with age.
Omari performed a fearless, witty, and endearing 40 minutes of fresh material centered around turning 40 in an ageist society while still feeling 20 at heart, embracing both the ups and downs of aging, dating, life, and the joy of still feeling — and looking — young.
The sold-out NYC crowd laughed nonstop as Omari tackled modern dating, aging, relationships, and the chaos of navigating love and self-worth in your forties with brutal honesty and quick wit.
Some of the standout moments included Omari joking: “At 40, men will share bodily fluids with you and then describe the relationship like it was a networking event. What the fuck do I look like? Tinder?” She also had the audience roaring with punchlines such as: “At 20, dating was like: ‘Do you like me?’ At 40, it’s basically: ‘What’s your credit score, and are you still subscribed to your ex-wife?’” “In your 20s, you stay up all night talking on the phone. At 40, if you call me after 10 PM, I assume someone died.”
Omari also joked about how turning 40 is tough superficially, physically, and mentally in every category — especially dating — adding that at 40, “men will ruin your mental health faster than your skincare routine ruins your bank account.”
Throughout the set, she made the audience feel safe, relatable, and vulnerable by openly discussing how at 20 “we truly know nothing,” encouraging people to look forward to turning 40 instead of dreading it.
Omari also did brilliant crowd work with friends, family members, and audience guests who attended the taping, including legendary pro wrestler Gene Snitsky, creating spontaneous moments that kept the crowd energized throughout the night. During one standout interaction, Omari flirted and joked with one handsome man in the audience in particular, about how men name their private parts and hilariously compared the realities of having sex at 20 versus 40, leaving the audience in hysterics while further making the crowd fall in love with the outspoken comedian throughout the evening. DJ Groot kicked off the intro and outro with high energy beats, as well as music for the after party celebration at The Cutting Room.
Omari’s material blended self-deprecating humor, observational comedy, and raw truth about modern relationships, including jokes about “peace-seeking” men causing emotional chaos, dating exhaustion, aging in entertainment, recovery time after one margarita, and learning that “potential is just unpaid emotional labor.”
Selling out a comedy special taping in New York City over Memorial Day Weekend further cemented Omari’s growing fanbase and momentum as a stand-up voice audiences are connecting with nationwide.
Stay tuned for when the full special will air and follow @chanelomari for more info.
