The cat is out of the bag about Sherri Shepherd’s new daytime talk show, Sherri.
Shepherd and her associate Jawn Murray will executive produce the comedienne’s new eponymous chat show alongside executive producer and showrunner David Perler, “who held similar roles for 12 out of 13 seasons of The Wendy Williams Show,” PEOPLE details.
Debmar-Mercury, the production and distribution company behind The Wendy Williams Show, addressed the news in a lengthy statement released on Feb. 22.
“Like our viewers, we have been impressed by the unique comedic twist Sherri puts on our daily live ‘Hot Topics’ segment, her creativity and interactions with our guests,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement. “Her love for the content and daytime fans is obvious, and we are excited to partner with her to create another long-term talk franchise.”
“This is also a bitter-sweet moment for us and our partners at FOX,” the higher-ups added. “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,” the partners concluded.
As for Shepherd, the comedienne shared that her talk show coming into fruition was a “dream come true” in a statement released earlier today.
“I can’t wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love… pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy,” the star expressed.
As MADAMENOIRE highlighted in previous coverage, rumors about Shepherd’s take over have been swirling for weeks. The news of the comedienne’s new show comes five months after Williams stepped back from her hosting gig on The Wendy Williams Show to address “ongoing health issues.”
Shepherd, who’s served as a guest host on The Wendy Williams Show repeatedly in the last several months, quickly became a fan-favorite.
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The comedienne emotionally encouraged viewers to never falter in their faith when it comes to achieving their dreams during the big announcement of her news this morning on Williams’ show.
“About four years ago, I started telling God, I said, “Lord, I want a talk show, my own talk show.’ And you know how God works,” Shepherd said.
“Anybody who knows me, knows I’m a woman of faith,” she noted. “The answer — when you’re feeling like you have been forgotten, when you’re feeling like people say no — it may not be no. God may be saying it’s not time.”
Sherri is scheduled to premiere in September 2022.
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