The Wendy Williams Show is officially ending after 13 years in syndication.
A representative for the show confirmed that Wendy Williams would not be returning for the popular talk series’ finale episode slated to air on June 17. However, a video tribute will be dedicated to the iconic host, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Williams’ health conditions have prevented her from returning to her infamous purple chair and spilling the tea on the latest celebrity gossip. In March, the 57-year-old told Good Morning America that she was ready to return to work despite her battle with Graves disease and thyroid issues. However, the show’s longtime distributor Debmar-Mercury said Williams’ return was an unrealistic option at the time.
“[My] health is very well, and I’ve actually had a few appointments. I’m 57 now, and I have the mind and body of a 25-year-old,” Williams told GMA‘s T.J. Holmes, later adding, “I’m very comfortable. My partners with the show, everybody’s ready. Give me about three months. There are private things that I have to deal with, and then I’ll be ready to come back and be free and ready to do my thing.”
The company announced the show’s cancellation in February, stating that Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated daytime talk series would debut with Fox Television Stations and other broadcasters this fall. The company’s co-presidents, Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, praised the Newark native for being the queen of daytime television while providing ‘Hot Topics’ for viewers to enjoy.
“This is … a bitter-sweet moment for us and our partners at Fox,” they said 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.”
Season 13 faced several delays since airing in October, prompting producers to use celebrity guest hosts to fill Williams’ absence. From Leah Remini to Remy Ma and Fat Joe, Michael Rapaport, and Sherri Shepherd, they have all served as fill-ins for the show. Additionally, Shepherd delivered the highest ratings for the show during her guest host appearances, per Deadline.
The Wendy Williams Show debuted in 2008, with the former radio personality delivering a slew of topics, exclusive celebrity interviews, and providing advice to audience members during the ‘How You Doin?’ segment. The talk show series was the first nationally syndicated program to be successful on Fox Tv stations.
