Yahoo Finance Wendy Williams Won’t Be Back For Her Talk Show In January, Guest Hosts Set – Update
UPDATED: The Wendy Williams Show will return with new episodes in January, but Williams won’t be back in her purple chair just yet as she continues to recover from complications of Graves disease.
Currently in its 13th season, the show on Wednesday announced guest hosts for the month of January. Fat Joe and Remy Ma will host the week of January 3, followed by Michael Rapaport in week 2, comedic duo Kym Whitley and Finesse Mitchell in week 3 and Sherri Shepherd will close out the month from January 24-28.
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“We’re looking forward to producing new and exciting shows in 2022 and we can’t wait to return in the new year with all of our guest hosts,” said Executive Producer David Perler. He added, “Each of the outstanding guest hosts brings a unique and distinctive style to the successful ‘Wendy’ format with their individual personalities while also making sure that Wendy’s show remains consistent for the loyal Wendy watchers.”
PREVIOUS, Nov. 17: Fan favorites Leah Remini and Michelle Visage will return as guest co-hosts of The Wendy Williams Show for a two-week stint, as Williams continues to recover from complications of Graves disease.
Longtime friends Remini and Visage will share hosting duties beginning Monday, November 29 through Friday, December 10, the show announced today.
PREVIOUS, Nov. 15: The Wendy Williams Show has announced more guests hosts that will take the show through Wednesday, November 24. Thanksgiving week kicks off on Monday, November 22 with co-hosts Devyn Simone (MTV’s The Challenge: Aftermath), author/media personality Bevy Smith, Variety chief correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and comedian/actor Michael Yo. They’ll be followed by hip-hop stars Fat Joe and Remy Ma on Tuesday, November 23, and Wednesday, November 24, respectively, according to the show.
Guest hosts have been filling for Williams since the show’s delayed Season 13 premiere on October 18, as Williams recovers from complications of Graves disease.
PREVIOUS: The Wendy Williams Show on Wednesday said it is adding additional guests hosts to the calendar through most of the month of November as Williams continues to recover from recent health issues.
The talk show said that Michael Rapaport will guest host the week of November 8, followed by an “all-new hot talk panel” on November 15, then Bill Bellamy on November 16-17. Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos will reunite to co-host on November 18-19.
Sherri Shepherd is currently serving in Williams’ seat this week, after Whitney Cummings did so the week of October 25-29.
Guest hosts have been ongoing since the daytime talker’s Season 13 premiere on October 18. Williams has not appeared at all this season after the show said she has bene recovering from complications as a result of Graves’ disease.
The new season was originally scheduled to premiere in early September before being pushed to early October after Williams was diagnosed with breakthrough Covid. It was then pushed in again to October 18, when a panel of guest hosts kicked things off before Leah Remini took over the rest of that first week.
UPDATED, October 19: Wendy Williams’ return as host of The Wendy Williams Show has been pushed to November at the earliest, with the announcement of guest hosts Whitney Cummings and Sherri Shepherd. The show announced Tuesday on its Instagram account that Cummings will host the show October 25-29, and she will be followed by Shepherd the week of November 1.
Williams’ return has been delayed as she recovers from complications of Graves’ disease, according to the show.
PREVIOUSLY, October 12: The Wendy Williams Show will return as scheduled on October 18 for its Season 13 premiere, but without Williams as host. Williams “is making progress, but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ disease. It has been determined that more time is needed before she is able to return to her live hosting duties,” The Wendy Williams Show said in a statement Tuesday on Instagram.
She will be replaced for the time being with guest hosts and panels, which the syndicated series says, will be announced soon.
“Wendy is a valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family and has been so for 12 years. We want her health to be her top priority,” the statement continued. “As soon as she’s ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair. We very much appreciate the respect for Wendy’s privacy, as well as all the good wishes from her fans, station partners and advertisers.”
PREVIOUS, Sept. 30: The Season 13 premiere of The Wendy Williams Show has been delayed yet again. The syndicated daytime talker said today on the show’s Instagram account that the rescheduled Oct. 4 premiere has been moved to Oct. 18. due to Williams “ongoing health issues.”
The premiere, originally scheduled for Sept. 18, had been moved to Oct. 4 after Williams tested positive for Covid-19. The show’s account today said “Wendy will not be returning with new shows on Oct. 4,” adding “Her breakthrough COVID case is no longer an issue and she has tested negative, but she is still dealing with some ongoing medical issues.”
The show said Williams “has been and continues to be under a doctor’s care and is still not ready to return to work.”
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PREVIOUS, Sept. 15: The Wendy Williams Show‘s scheduled Season 13 premiere has been delayed after talk show host Williams tested positive for a breakthrough case of Covid-19.
The show announced Williams’ diagnosis on its official Instagram account.
“While continuing her health evaluations, Wendy has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19,” according to the show’s statement. “To allow Wendy time to quarantine and fully recover and to ensure that our production fully abides by SAG/AFTRA and DGA Covid protocols, we expect to begin the 13th season of The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, October 4th. In the meantime, repeats will be scheduled.”
Earlier this month, the show said Williams would be stepping back from promotional activities ahead of the Season 13 premiere, which had been scheduled for September 20, due to “ongoing health issues.”
Williams has battled various maladies over the last few years. She is battling Graves disease, an immune system disorder, that dates to 1999. She also passed out on live TV in 2017 during the show’s Halloween episode, an incident that was attributed to dehydration.
The show was on hiatus in 2020 because of the pandemic, but had a brief remote stint with Williams broadcasting from her New York apartment. In December, production was paused for several weeks again so Williams could be with her family following her mother’s death.
The nationally syndicated Wendy Williams Show is produced and distributed by Debmar-Mercury and has been renewed through the 2021-2022 season by the Fox Television Stations.
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