The Wendy Williams Will Officially End After Season 14, Sherri Shepherd To Take Over

essence.com:

The Wendy Williams show confirmed today that after 14 seasons, the show is officially coming to a close. Show distributor Debmar-Mercury announced Tuesday morning that longtime guest-host Sherri Shepherd, who has been stepping in Williams’ stead for months, will take over for the remainder of the season, and will also headline her own syndicated talk show starting this fall.

The current season faced several delays at its beginning, with a rotating cast of guest hosts filling in as producers awaiting Williams’ return.

Rumors had long been swirling that Shepherd would replace Williams, since her health issues have persisted, keeping her from returning to her beloved purple chair for any part of season 14. “This is … a bitter-sweet moment for us and our partners at Fox,” said Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein in a statement. “We all have a great love and affinity for Wendy, who grew into a true icon during her 12 incredible seasons as the solo host of a live, daily talk show dishing on ‘Hot Topics’ and interviewing celebrities.” “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.

We hope to be able to work with Wendy again in the future, and continue to wish her a speedy and full recovery.”The Sherri Shepherd Show is slated to begin this fall.Shepherd shared her excitement over finally getting her own daytime talk show, an achievement which she shared has always been a goal and dream of hers, even since long before she got her chair on The View.