Chelsea Handler Shows Up to Critics Choice Awards 2025 with Bandaged Arm: Here’s Why

Chelsea Handler is flaunting an unexpected accessory.

The comedian, 49, took the stage to host the 2025 Critics Choice Awards on Friday, Feb. 7, and her arm was noticeably wrapped in a bandage.

Though she did not address her apparent ailment on stage, just days before her hosting gig, Handler revealed that she had a shoulder infection requiring sudden medical treatment. 

“I’m in agony. I have a shoulder infection,” she said on the Feb. 5 episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. “They wanted to have surgery today, and I have too much press, including you.”

“So I’m [still] doing my surgery,” she continued. “I got an injection to help my shoulder, a PRP injection. Whoever’s listening, don’t ever f—ing do that. And now I’ve had chills and sweats for the last, like, two weeks since the injection, and my arm was excruciating. My shoulder, I couldn’t lift it.”

Joking that at first, she thought the changes in her body temperature were a sign of “perimenopause,” Handler said she even got an estrogen and progesterone shot before discovering she had an infection.

“I am on a liquid diet today for my surgery tomorrow morning,” she went on to share. “I’m not joking. I’m getting surgery tomorrow morning. Actually, I have an Owl’s Brew photoshoot tomorrow, so I have to wait until that’s done because everyone’s flying out from New York, and then I’m getting my surgery at around 1 p.m. My photo shoot starts at 5 a.m.”

On Thursday, Feb. 6, Handler shared how she was preparing for the Critics Choice Awards by posting a photo of a tube connected to a port in her arm on her Instagram Stories.

“See you guys tomorrow night at 7pm eastern for the Critics Choice Awards on E!” she captioned it.

Handler kicked off the 30th annual ceremony — which she is hosting for a third time — by paying tribute to the first responders who fought the recent Los Angeles wildfires. 

“I know I speak for all of us when I say what we saw and the scope of loss has been almost impossible to imagine,” she said, noting that the broadcast would display a QR code that viewers can use to donate to those impacted by the fires that began in L.A. on Jan. 7.

“My hope for tonight is to take our time here together, and use it to remind each other and everyone watching of the resilience and determination that is within all of us when we come together as a community, with a huge debt of gratitude to our honored guests tonight, the firefighters, Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity volunteers,” Handler added. “And so many more – that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards as they’re broadcasting live on E! from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The show will also be available to stream the following day on Peacock.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.