This season of The Wendy Williams Show has likely been one that was completely unexpected by not only those involved behind the scenes, but by the many fans who tune in daily. Williams herself signed off as host last July for what was to be a standard summer hiatus, only to be beset by health issues which delayed the talk show’s return, then led to guest hosts starting the new season for her. Unfortunately, Williams still has yet to return to her post, and now it seems like she may be done with the show, as reports are stating that a permanent replacement might be next, in the form of comedian and actress Sherri Shepherd.
How Will Replacing Wendy Williams On Her Show Work?
As Wendy Williams has continued to recuperate, a series of guest hosts have taken the stage to lead her beloved series. These have included stars like Whitney Cummings, Remy Ma, Fat Joe, Leah Remini, Michael Rapaport, Bevy Smith, the aforementioned Sherri Shepherd, and several others, with many hosts returning for repeat appearances as the Williams break continued.
According to TMZ, though, the producers are close to being done with a revolving door of guest hosts, and are now in the process of setting up Shepherd as a permanent guest host, with an option for her to take over the show as the new host, should Williams not be well enough to return.
The outlet’s source notes that Shepherd would be placed as the permanent guest host for the show’s next season, which is currently set to begin in September of this year. Her deal for the new position is said to be nearly done, with it probably being fully closed before much longer.
Obviously, the question for Williams’ fans is still, “What about Wendy?” Apparently, the idea would be for the producers of The Wendy Williams Show to keep a close eye on her health through September. If she appears to be basically back to her old fun, wild, and sometimes delightfully unpredictable self, then viewers will see her declare “How you doin!” at the start of the next season. If, however, she is still unable to return, they will change the name of the show as early as September.
Those at the Fox Station Group, which carries the talker on stations it owns and operates, are said to be aware of the plan and on board with it. But, there’s currently no official word on any of this from the producers of the show.
How Is Wendy Williams’ Health Struggle Now?
The short answer to that question right now is that few outside of Williams’ immediate circle truly know. The host already had well-documented struggles with Graves’ disease and several other health concerns, which were then impacted by a breakthrough COVID-19 diagnosis shortly before she was due to return to her purple chair. Aside from a message to fans a bit over six months ago, we’ve heard very little official word on how Williams’ health problems are actually healing.
This has led to a number of shocking allegations about the state of Williams’ condition, including that she has trouble carrying on normal conversations, spent the holidays alone because her behavior had run off all of her friends, and that she even has several periods where she can’t dress herself without help. While her son posted a photo of her eating about a month ago, it wasn’t until a few days ago that Williams’ representative, Howard Bragman, responded to the rumors about her health and the idea that she wouldn’t return to her show and simply noted that word about her current health was “inaccurate,” while talk of her being out of her daytime show was “speculation.”
All we can hope for right now is that Wendy Williams is actually able to feel more like herself at some point. Whether or not she returns to her show, or Sherri Shepherd takes over the hosting gig, will be revealed before much longer. The Wendy Williams Show airs every weekday, so check local listings for times, but for more to watch, check out the 2022 TV schedule.