Wendy Williams. Picture: Instagram
“The Wendy Williams Show” has been cancelled amid Wendy's ongoing health battles and will be replaced by another self-titled talk show hosted by regular stand in Sherri Shepherd.
The daytime talk show - which has aired since 2008 - will come to an end in June 2022 because of host Wendy's long running health battles and will be replaced by a new show fronted by Sherri Shepherd, who has stood in for Wendy on a numerous occasions during her absence.
In a statement, producers said: "Since Wendy is still not available to host the show as she continues on her road to recovery, we believe it is best for our fans, stations and advertising partners to start making this transition now.
“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 57-year-old former DJ has been struggling with autoimmune disorder Graves disease - which causes problems with the thyroid - and has not been seen on her own show since July 2021, with the show being fronted by various stars including Sherri, as well as Michael Rapaport, Fat Joe and Bevy Smith in the meantime.
Wendy's rep Howard Bragman explained that while it has been a "challenging" time for the star, she "understands" why the decision has been made by producers.
He told Variety: "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.
“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."
“Sherri” is set to begin airing in late 2022, with “The View” star claiming that she "cannot wait" to return to New York to take over.
She said: "OMG! I am so excited to have my dream come true and debut my very own talk show ‘Sherri’ in the fall. I can’t wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love…pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy."
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