Who is Sherri Shepherd? Rumors abound that host to replace Wendy Williams permanently
Back in October 2021, Wendy Williams was forced to exit the Fox Station Group show in her name due to the worsening nature of Graves' disease. Months later, it seems like Fox is ready to move on, and may have found a 'permanent guest host' to replace the ailing star. The revolving door of guest hosts seems to be over, but Fox appears to have left the door open for Williams to return if she can.
For years now, the talk show host has been struggling with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder. Despite that, she refused to give up, and in December 2021 promised "more Wendy stuff" in the future. That came after a shocking photo in September 2021, showing a very weak Williams and sparking concern from her fans. Since October, Fox has been forced to try numerous hosts in her absence, including one Sherri Shepherd.
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Shepherd took over as the host for 'The Wendy Williams Show' for a few episodes in December 2021 and instantly became a fan favorite. It seems like Fox has caught wind of that, and offered Shepherd the gig on a permanent basis.
Who is Sherri Shepherd?
Another talk show host, Shepherd has a long and distinguished career going back decades, including in movies and TV shows. Born in Chicago, the Emmy-award-winning comedian first appeared on screens in 1995's 'Cleghorne!'. At the time, she was working as a legal secretary, and hoping that Hollywood was her calling, quit the job to pursue acting. It resulted in her being homeless for a year, as no new gigs came her way.
In 1996, she got another opportunity with 'The Jamie Foxx Show', which led to further recurring roles on 'Suddenly Susan' and 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. It kickstarted a long career that saw her appear in several major films and shows like 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa', 'Precious', 'Friends', and 'My Adventures in Television'. By the early 2000s, she became a regular on TV, which saw her transition to shows like 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'.
From 2007, Shepherd also appeared in 600 episodes of 'The View', where she earned her Emmy. Needless to say, Shepherd has become something of TV royalty in the years, having also worked with Oprah Winfrey, WWE, Sharon Osbourne, Steve Harvey, and Larry King amongst her many, many appearances. Apart from her Emmy, Shepherd has also been awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award, People's Choice Award, and Critics' Choice Movie Award, amongst others.
Shepherd on 'The Wendy Williams Show'
Since Williams was forced to walk off the show after Season 13 concluded in July 2021, the show has been through multiple alternative hosts. In November 2021, Shepherd became the temporary host but was also forced off for one episode due to emergency surgery for appendicitis. However, it seems she's got the vote of the Fox team, with a deal now in the works for her to take over full-time.
On February 8, TMZ reported that "the deal is almost locked" and "everyone involved expects it will be inked in the very near future." For now, Shepherd will carry the title of 'permanent guest host' as Fox monitors the progress of Williams. If she's better by September 2022, there's a possibility she will be allowed to return. If not, Season 15 of the show is expected to air that month with a name change to reflect the fact Williams is no longer involved.
