Wendy Williams Teases TV Comeback, Health-Riddled Talk Show Host Breaks Silence After Sherri Shepherd Is Named As Replacement
Don't count Wendy Williams out just yet. The 57-year-old health-riddled talk show host has broken her silence after Sherri Shepherd was named as her permanent replacement, and she's hinting at a TV comeback.
Wendy released her statement on Tuesday, just hours after Wendy Williams Show executives confirmed that Shepherd is taking over her time slots come fall. Wendy has been MIA all season due to mysterious health issues with no return date in sight.
However, she gave her fans a glimmer of hope following the news.
"It’s been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues. She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time,” Wendy's spokesperson Howard Bragman told RadarOnline.com.
Revealing Wendy has no hard feelings towards Shepherd, Bragman continued, "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. She understands why this decision was made from a business point of view, and she has been assured by Debmar-Mercury that should her health get to a point where she can host again and should her desire be that she hosts again that she would be back on TV at that time.”
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As RadarOnline.com exclusively reported, Wendy Williams Show producers have always been eyeing Shepherd as the talk show host's replacement. They made it official earlier today.
Not only is Shepherd sliding into Wendy's daily time slot, but she's also inheriting her entire talk show team and taking on her beloved Hot Topics segment.
“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. “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 Wendy Williams Show will continue running with guest hosts for the remainder of the current season. Shepherd's new show, Sherri, takes over in the fall.