Wendy Williams is scared she may lose her talk show, sources told Page Six.
Williams has been away from “The Wendy Williams Show” since Dec. 24, and she’s delayed her return multiple times.
Instead, the show played reruns until a series of guest hosts took over. Guest hosts are scheduled up until Feb. 15, at which point it’s still unclear what will happen with Williams and the show. The source told Page Six that Williams is “super scared and anxious” that she may not have a show anymore.
“Despite her strong desire to return, she is taking a necessary, extended break from her show to focus on her personal and physical well-being,” Williams’s family said in a statement obtained by Page Six in January.
The reasons for Williams’s absence are not yet crystal clear, but she fractured her shoulder in December. Also, her family said she was hospitalized due to her Graves’ disease.
But even though Williams might be anxious to get back, “she’s in no state to get back on TV anytime soon,” the source added, via Page Six.
“As she has for the past 10 years, Wendy delivers an incomparable live talk show day in and day out and we want to give her the best opportunity to heal and recover,” said producer and distributor Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, via Variety.
“Wendy has our complete and unwavering support and we look forward to her return to the iconic purple chair.”
Nick Cannon was the first guest host to take over on “The Wendy Williams Show.” He is reported to have had a good time on the show but is not looking to replace Williams.
“Nick doesn’t want her job, even if it was offered. He has his own late night show coming up on FOX which will have a different feel to it because he can’t talk the way Wendy does on her show. Nick avoided certain issues while guest hosting on her show because he is friends with a lot celebs and he can’t do the show the way Wendy can … no one can do the show the way she can,” a source told Hollywood Life.
The source also assured fans, via Hollywood Life, that the show’s production staff hope for Williams’s return.
“Producers are confident and happy with Wendy and many of her staffers have been with her since the early days. Many that work with Wendy have an undying loyalty to her and she has the same loyalty to them. They have all been together forever and neither Wendy nor the producers plan on going anywhere.”
According to Williams’s Instagram account, after Jason Biggs, Keke Palmer is the next scheduled guest host for the Feb. 8 show.
Other upcoming guest hosts include Sherri Shepherd, who will host Feb. 11 and 12. Michael Rapaport will host Feb. 13. And Jerry O’Connell is the last scheduled guest host as of now. He will host the episodes scheduled for Feb. 14 and 15.
The Wendy Williams Show is in its tenth season. Towards the end of 2017, Williams fainted on air while wearing her Statue of Liberty Halloween costume. In the first part of 2018, she announced her Graves’ disease diagnosis.
