Lilly Singh

Early life

Lilly Singh was born on September 26, 1988, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. She is of Indian descent, with her parents being originally from Punjab, India. Growing up, Lilly faced various challenges, including bullying and depression. To cope with these difficulties, she turned to comedy and entertainment.

Lilly Singh’s parents, Malvindar Kaur and Sukvindar Singh, immigrated from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India, and raised her as a Sikh. She comes from an Indian Punjabi background, specifically from the Saini Rajput community. Lilly has an older sister named Tina, who is also a YouTuber known as ‘The Tina Singh’ (formerly ‘MOM BOSS OF 3’), creating content about family life with her husband and their three sons.

During her childhood, Lilly described herself as a tomboy. She attended Mary Shadd Public School for her elementary education. Later, in 2006, she graduated from Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute in Malvern, Toronto. Lilly holds a strong connection to her alma mater and has revisited her old teachers there.

As a child, Lilly was a member of Girl Guides of Canada and actively participated in their youth programs. In 2010, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University in Toronto.

Career

In October 2010, Lilly Singh launched her YouTube channel using the pseudonym “IISuperwomanII.” The name Superwoman was inspired by a childhood belief that she could achieve anything. Initially, Singh had plans to attend graduate school as her parents desired, but she decided to pursue making YouTube videos instead. She committed to returning to graduate school if her YouTube career didn’t progress.

She started by posting satirical videos that highlighted everyday experiences and cultural stereotypes, resonating with a wide audience. With her relatable content and vibrant personality, Lilly quickly gained a significant following and became one of the platform’s most prominent creators.

In December 2011, Singh established a second channel called “SuperwomanVlogs,” which is now titled “Lilly Singh Vlogs.” This channel documented her daily activities and included behind-the-scenes footage from her videos. Initially, it served as a secondary platform for video uploads until August 2014 when she began focusing on vlogs. In 2011, Singh made appearances as a background dancer in the movies “Speedy Singhs” and “Thank You.”

In 2012, when Singh reached 100,000 subscribers, she applied for monetization on her YouTube videos. Upon acceptance, Singh became more determined to pursue her career on the platform and invested $699 in her first camera.

In August 2013, Singh collaborated with Jassi Sidhu and featured in his Punjabi song “Hipshaker.” She also rapped in the song “Mauj Ki Malharein,” which was included in the Bollywood drama film “Gulaab Gang” released in August 2014. In July of the same year, she released a song titled “#LEH” in collaboration with her friend, author, and rapper Kanwer Singh, known as “Humble the Poet.” Additionally, in 2014, Singh had a small role in the Canadian production “Dr. Cabbie.”

In 2014, Singh’s channel ranked #39 on New Media Rockstars’ Top 100 Channels list. That same year, she received nominations for a Shorty Award and a Streamy Award.

Her success on YouTube opened doors for Lilly to expand her career beyond the internet. In 2014, she embarked on a world tour called “A Trip to Unicorn Island,” where she performed comedy sketches and interacted with her fans. The tour was a massive success and showcased Lilly’s talent for live entertainment.

In addition to her online presence, Lilly Singh has made numerous appearances on television. In 2015, she was a featured speaker at the annual YouTube FanFest in Toronto. The following year, she released her first book, “How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life,” which became a New York Times bestseller. In 2019, she became the host of the NBC late-night talk show “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” making her the first openly bisexual woman of color to host a major network late-night show.

In July 2020, Lilly Singh joined other celebrities in announcing the establishment of Angel City FC, a National Women’s Soccer League team set to debut in Los Angeles in 2022.

On August 18, 2020, she revealed on the Today Show that she would be hosting her own sketch comedy show called “Sketchy Times with Lilly Singh.” The show, consisting of two episodes, was filmed in Singh’s home and premiered on Peacock on October 29.

In September 2020, Singh collaborated with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics organizing committee to create an emblem for the 2028 Summer Olympics, symbolizing pride.

In September and October 2020, it was announced that Singh would be lending her voice to animated films. She voiced Penny in “Riverdance: The Animated Adventure” and voiced the character Pickles in another movie called “Hitpig.”

In February 2021, Singh partnered with children’s media company PocketWatch to develop an animated musical short film titled “Lilly Singh’s Proud Princess,” focusing on LGBTQ pride.

In May 2021, it was revealed that Singh’s late-night talk show, “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” would conclude after two seasons. She signed a deal with Netflix for a comedy project produced by Kenya Barris and reached an agreement with Universal Television Alternative Studio through her production company, Unicorn Island Productions.

In February 2022, Singh appeared as Liv in the second season of the Hulu series “Dollface.” She also joined the judging panel for the second season of “Canada’s Got Talent,” which premiered in March 2022. Additionally, Singh starred in “The Muppets Mayhem” for Disney+ and announced her upcoming YouTube original series, “Mindful Adventures in Unicorn Island,” scheduled for release in 2023.

In April 2022, Singh released her book titled “Be A Triangle.”

In October 2022, it was announced that Singh would host the primetime quiz show “Battle of the Generations” on CTV.

In March 2023, Singh co-hosted the pre-show for the 95th Academy Awards.

Net Worth

As of 2023, Singh’s net worth is an estimated $20 million.

Achievement

Lilly Singh’s achievements are numerous and far-reaching. Here are some highlights:

Amassed over 15 million subscribers on YouTube with billions of views on her videos

Listed as one of the highest-paid YouTube stars by Forbes in 2017

Included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2019

Named one of Time magazine's 30 Most Influential People on the Internet in 2016 and 2019

Received the MTV Fandom Award

Multiple wins at the Streamy Awards

Recipient of People's Choice Awards

Appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2020

Advocates for children's rights and mental health awareness through her platform