'It's [Lady] Guh-GAW,' Handler says behind the scenes of her VMA promo.
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Chelsea Handler
Photo: Timothy White

Chelsea Handler is hard at work preparing for her gig as host of the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, a job that includes making sure that there are no slip-ups when it comes to shouting out oddly named pop stars. So, when the cameras went behind the scenes at the funnywoman's VMA promo shoot, Handler was found reprimanding her staff about the proper ways to announce some of this year's nominees.

"I am excited to see Lady Guh-GAW," Handler declared, while seated at the head of her staffers table. When someone on her team chimes in with "It's Gaga," the way that, well, the whole world pronounces it, the "Chelsea Lately" host jokingly corrected the supposed flub.






"No, it's Guh-GAW," Handler deadpanned. "Everyone pronounces it wrong." The comedienne pointed out that another blonde hitmaker, Ke$sha, has endured mass mispronunciation of her uniquely spelled moniker.

"Just like Keh-dollar-sign-hah pronounced that way," Handler said. "She doesn't want you to say it the other way. I met her."

With the big night just a couple weeks away and the pressure on to deliver another live two-hour event packed with oh-no-they-didn't moments, the cameras caught Handler and her team engaged in intense brainstorming sessions. And the crew brought in a master of mayhem to help ideate television magic: Kid Rock.

"You can go down on Snooki in the hot tub that they have on the 'Jersey Shore,' " Handler suggested to Rock. Lucky for the Handler, the Detroit rap-rocker seemed down for anything. "After a couple fifths of whiskey I'll go either way. Hell, after a fifth of whiskey I'd have sex with you."

Handler, who has experienced her fair share of passes from popular lyricists, served up a demure reply to the open invitation for a drunken hookup. "Thank you," Handler responded.

What are you expecting from Chelsea Handler as host of the VMAs? Let us know in the comments below!

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12. The party starts with MTV News' VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through September 12.



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