Nobody Can Replace Wendy Williams

Anyone who watches daytime television (there are dozens of us) knows that there is nobody on air like Wendy Williams. Since 2008, Williams has occupied an irreplaceable space of her own. Who else could come up with “Dula Peep?” Name me one daytime host who could replicate this truly shocking moment on air, surprising even superfans. You can’t. It was just two Halloweens ago that Williams was scared of an audience member in a horror mask, something that makes me laugh no matter how many times I watch it.

But as any Wendy Heads know, she has not been on air for some time. The 13th season of The Wendy Williams Show was supposed to premiere on September 20. But according to Page Six, the show has been on hiatus due to the host’s “ongoing health issues, including testing positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19,” (which she has repeatedly called “cornova”). Sadly, Williams’s health issues are ongoing – she is also experiencing complications due to Graves’ Disease and an existing thyroid condition.

However, according to an Instagram post from The Wendy Williams Show, shooting will resume on October 18, with “an exciting line-up of guest hosts and panels.”

I understand that talk shows do this all the time – producer and dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss recently filled in for Ellen DeGeneres, and Jimmy Kimmel always gets celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence to guest host. This is normal. But this cannot be the case for The Wendy Williams Show. Nobody can replace Williams, no matter which guest host the show manages to book. The beauty of this program isn’t its format or guests, it’s Williams herself — and she is irreplaceable. Who else can faint live on air dressed as the Statue of Liberty and come right back after a commercial break? Possibly Tyra Banks, but she’s too busy hosting Dancing With the Stars. We only want Wendy. I am actually a fan of Jerry O’Connell, but he is not allowed to step in.