The Fate Of Wendy Williams' Talk Show Has Finally Been Revealed

"The Wendy Williams Show" has faced serious uncertainty amid host Wendy Williams' health struggles in recent months. The show officially announced in October 2021 that Williams was left no choice but to take time off after "experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves' Disease and her thyroid condition." The statement continued, assuring, "As soon as [Williams is] ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair."

A series of rotating guest hosts then stepped in for the show to go on, including Leah Remini, Michael Rappaport, Jerry Springer, and Whitney Cummings, among others, per People. In the meantime, Williams released a statement in November 2021, providing a health update. She wrote that her progress was "taking longer than we expected," but remained optimistic about returning to the show.

However, it has since been reported that Williams' condition has worsened, leaving the future of her talk show up in the air for some time. TMZ first broke the news that "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd was in talks to step into the role as "permanent guest host" of "The Wendy Williams Show" until Williams' recovery. Now, the fate of "The Wendy Williams Show" has officially been revealed.

After a 14 season run, "The Wendy Williams Show" will end and be replaced by a new program hosted by Sherri Shepherd, per The Hollywood Reporter. The temp host of "The Wendy Williams Show" will fulfill the final run of the show until September, when her new program, "Sherri," will air. "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," production company Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in an official statement. "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."

Ahead of Shepherd's hosting appearance on "Wendy" on February 22, the TV personality teased an announcement on Instagram, writing, "big things happening!" Though she didn't outright announce her big promotion, she continued, "2-22-22 is a big energy manifestation day. Repetitive numbers are angel signs... are you ready?"

"Wendy" fans praised Sherri's news when the special guest host strutted onto the set in a new video posted to the official "Wendy Williams Show" Instagram. "[Sherri] it's your time now," one IG user commented. Another fan raved, "Wendy had a good run and it looks like Sherri is moving in!!"

After a funny fake-out surprise of her getting married, Sherri Shepherd revealed the news of her own talk show to the "The Wendy Williams Show" audience on February 22. She recounted being a young girl playing with a microphone and her teddy bears, pretending to be a host. "I just came outta my mother's womb talking," she told the excited crowd.

The host took a moment to praise the legacy of Wendy Williams, noting that all the chatter in recent months about her being replaced was false. "No one can replace the queen. Nobody," Shepherd stated while placing her predecessor amongst the greats like Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, and Phil Donahue. "Wendy Williams created a unique brand that folks are always gonna love and talk about," she said. 

Confirming there is no bad blood between hosts, Williams' rep Howard Bragman shared with People that the star "understands the reality of syndicated television" more than anyone. "You can't go to the marketplace and sell a show that's the 'Maybe Wendy Show,'" Bragman said. Debmar-Mercury has assured Williams that if her health improves and her desire to host remains, "she would be back on TV at that time." Shepherd ended her announcement with an emotional moment, sharing her faith and encouraging viewers to hold on to their big dreams. This is just the beginning of her very own legacy.

Sherri Shepherd made sure that everyone heard her exciting news, and took to Twitter shortly after the announcement was made with a post capturing the moment she told "The Wendy Williams Show" audience about her new gig. She accompanied her shout out with a Michelle Williams quote which read, "When Jesus say Yes, nobody can say no!" Fans were quick to congratulate the former co-host of "The View" for her solo return to daytime television, with many expressing their excitement and plans to tune in. 

"Congratulations! Well deserved. Looking forward to being part of the studio audience of the Sherri Show," one excited Twitter user wrote. "I am SO excited for your show!" started another fan. "You Go Girl! Congratulations Sherri!" 

While many of the comments joyfully celebrated Shepherd's new position, a handful of commenters expressed their desire for Wendy Williams to return to the daytime show instead. One simply wrote, "We want Wendy," while another surmised, "No thx ... we r not interested ... u betrayed Wendy." Whatever feedback she's getting from potential viewers, however, it's safe to say that Shepherd is thrilled to be coming back to television permanently.