WENDY Williams’ ongoing health issues have left production scrambling to find guest hosts to fill in for the ailing star after she delayed her return to the purple chair for a third time.
A source exclusively told The Sun: “The search for Wendy's guest hosts is an absolute mess. Producers are totally winging it day by day trying to book people to fill in for her.”
“They haven’t nailed down a solid roster of people as of yet.”
To make matters worse, the source said because The Wendy Williams Show fans really only tune in to see Wendy, ratings for her fill-in hosts have historically been abysmal.
“Because people are watching for Wendy, potential hosts have been hesitant to take the helm because poor show ratings reflect poorly on them,” the source added.
This isn't the first time Wendy’s health issues have forced production to find people to fill in for her, but their tried and true go-to replacements have since landed gigs of their own.
Nick Cannon, who filled in for Wendy in 2019, picked up his own show with Debmar-Mercury, which also produces Wendy.
Jerry O’Connell, who has also filled in for Wendy in the past, has since been picked up by The Talk.
NOT COMING BACK
On Tuesday, The Wendy Williams Show's Instagram page announced that the host will again not be returning due to "serious complications" regarding her health.
Wendy was previously diagnosed with a "breakthrough" case of Covid and has not appeared in public since September.
The talk show announced on Tuesday that the 57-year-old will not be returning for the upcoming season, as she is "not ready" to be on camera due to "ongoing medical issues."
On Instagram, they revealed that a series of "guest hosts" will take over her role for the foreseeable future.
"The Wendy Williams Show will start airing originals on Monday, October 18, with an exciting lineup of guest hosts and panels to be announced shortly," show producers disclosed.
"Wendy continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis. She is making progress but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ Disease and her thyroid condition."
"It has been determined that more time is needed before she is able to return to her live hosting duties," they claimed.
The post continued: "Wendy is a valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family and has been so for 12 years. We want her health to be her top priority. As soon as she's ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair.
"We very much appreciate the respect for Wendy’s privacy, as well as all the good wishes from her fans, station partners and advertisers."
GET WELL WENDY!
Last week the show broke the news that Wendy would not be returning to the program on October 4th, but they claimed she would be well enough to begin on the 18th.
They added that her breakthrough Covid case was "no longer an issue and she has tested negative."
Producers explained that her "ongoing medical issues" were related to pre-existing conditions that were keeping her from leaving doctor care.
PSYCHIATRIC BREAK
The Wendy Williams Show was postponed from its original return date of September 20th after the host was rushed to the hospital on the 15th due to a "health scare."
The Sun was first to report that police received a 911 call from her building at 8 am about a "57-year-old female in need of psychiatric services."
An ambulance arrived on the scene and transported a woman matching the host's description to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
ADDICTION BATTLE
The Sun was also the first to report that the TV star had been "struggling with addiction" leading up to her hospitalization.
“Wendy was drinking every day, even while filming the show," an insider revealed to The Sun.
The informant added that staffers have said they would smell the liquor on her.
DOOMED RETURN?
The staff of the show has expressed concern over their jobs as many believe that Wendy "will NEVER return."
An insider exclusively told The Sun that “Wendy staff are looking for new jobs. They don’t believe she will ever come back.
“It's a mass exodus. They are trying to get out before the ship sinks.”
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The US Sun team?
Email us at [email protected] or call 212 416 4552.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS
Source: Read Full Article
