Coronavirus: Wendy Williams 'willing to risk' her health for talk show, wishes to go back to work next week
In the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, several TV shows have been put on hold and shoot schedules have been stalled. 'The Wendy Williams Show' is among the many talk shows that have been postponed but its host says she is "ready to go back to work."
On 'The Dr. Oz Show' — which is still in production and was being taped at an empty studio but recently moved to Dr. Mehmet Oz's home after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 — Williams said she was shocked to learn her show was shut down. "I got a telephone call, honestly, and the phone call was, ‘Wendy?’ I was like, ‘What? What am I doing wrong now?’ I always think I’m in trouble."
She added, "They said, ‘We’re all shutting down everything, all the networks. Nobody is going to be doing new shows. We want all the hosts to be well.'" On March 12, she suggested doing the show without an audience. "I said, ‘But I can do it even with no audience. I don’t even have to have the staffers there because I did that for two days.' But they said, ‘No. We need to have you home, indefinitely.’ There will be no more Wendy or any of the other people for a period of time,'" she added.
Earlier, on March 13, she told her followers on Twitter, "Considering the current escalation of the Coronavirus, production of The Wendy Williams Show will be put on hold, indefinitely. In place of live shows, we will air repeats and we will continue to monitor the situation with the CDC and city officials to determine the best time to return and produce live shows again. I love you for watching."
According to a Page Six report, she wants to continue the drill. "I’m willing to risk it with one camera and a flashlight. I’m ready to go back to work next week. I’m ready to go back to work when we’re like — come on, let’s go!" 'The Wendy Williams Show' is currently airing Season 12 with a fan following that has stuck to her through the host's professional highs and personal lows — right from collapsing live on air to going through a messy divorce.
While Williams may be yearning to come back to her show, the entire world is taking extra precautions. In a statement released on March 12, the staffers were told, "The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Considering the current escalation of the Coronavirus, production will be put on hold, indefinitely. However, the office will remain open for you to pick up any materials or personal items."
It further read, "In place of live shows we will air repeats and we will continue to monitor the situation with the CDC and city officials to determine the best time to return and produce live shows again. Thank you for everything you do and please stay safe!"
The number of Coronavirus-infected cases seems to be increasing all across the world and citizens are being told to practice social distancing to combat the virus.