A new show starring former “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd will replace Wendy Williams’ talk show following Williams’ medical leave from her daily program.
“OMG! I am so excited to have my dream come true and debut my very own talk show Sherri in the fall,” Shepherd shared in a statement from distributor Debmar-Mercury, the Hollywood Reporter reported in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Wendy Williams Faces Backlash After Appearing To Mock Death Of Drew Carey’s Ex-Fiancé Dr. Amie Harwick)
“I can’t wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love — pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy,” she added. “I am thankful to Debmar-Mercury and Fox for partnering with me on this show and look forward to this new journey.”
As many of you saw on @WendyWilliams Show today, I announced that my new talk show “SHERRI” will premiere this September.
I’m grateful for your support!
Details via @Deadline! #SherriShepherd https://t.co/CLAfTTVP98
— Sherri Shepherd (@sherrieshepherd) February 22, 2022
Speculation Shepherd would take over for Williams has been circulating since Shepherd has been one of several celebrities guest hosting “The Wendy Williams Show” during the host’s absence due to health issues, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Wendy Williams Worries About Her ‘Saggy Boobs’ During Coronavirus Outbreak)
“Sherri is a natural who proved her hosting skills for many years as a panelist on ‘The View,’ on Fox’s ‘Dish Nation’ and again this season as a popular guest host of ‘Wendy,'” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement. “Like our viewers, we have been impressed by the unique comedic twist Sherri puts on our daily live ‘Hot Topics’ segment, her creativity and interactions with our guests. Her love for the content and daytime fans is obvious, and we are excited to partner with her to create another long-term talk franchise.”
The statement also called the announcement “bitter-sweet” following “12 incredible seasons” of Wendy as “the solo host of a live, daily talk show dishing on ‘Hot Topics’ and interviewing celebrities.”
“It’s been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues,” Williams’ PR rep, Howard Bragman, shared in a statement. “She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time. She, more than anyone, understands the reality of syndicated television — you can’t go to the marketplace and sell a show that’s the Maybe Wendy Show.”
Williams last hosted the show at the end of the 2020-21 season and has been absent for the entire current season after dealing with a variety of health issues, including COVID-19 and her battle with Graves’ disease, an immune disorder, the report noted.