The Wendy Williams Show is airing its final new episode on Friday after 13 years of the daytime series.
The Wendy Williams Show is airing its final new episode on Friday after 13 years of the daytime series
It comes after 57-year-old Williams last year withdrew from the show on what was supposed to be a temporary leave of absence to tackle her health issues.
After several rotating hosts stepping in, it emerged in February Sherri Shepherd, 55, will permanently take over Williams’ slot from the autumn.
A spokesperson said: “The final original episode of The Wendy Williams Show will air on Friday, June 17th with a video tribute to the iconic host.
“The series comes to an end after 13 successful years in syndication.”
Shepherd will feature on the show this week, including Friday, after her syndicated show Sherri was last month unveiled in a trailer.
Williams, whose idol is Howard Stern, 68, carved out a successful radio shock jock career, landing interviews with A-listers including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Her irreverent style on TV saw her opening her daily show with the ‘Hot Topics’ segment in which she offered her biting opinions on celebrities and showbusiness.
Williams declared in a recent interview she wouldn’t watch Shepherd’s upcoming talk show because it was not her “thing”.
Shepherd replied she understood Williams’ point of view, adding: “She’s going through a lot. I’m truly concerned for her.”
It was recently revealed Williams’ finances would be controlled by a court-appointed guardian due to mental health concerns raised by several of the host’s former staff.
The New York Post’s ‘Page Six’ column reported some staffers on the series were hoping Williams would make an appearance on the finale.
They were said to have “all these fond memories” of her time on show.
One insider added: “A lot of people – especially the mid and low-level producers – signed up for the job because of Wendy. It feels like it’s just going to end. It’s weird.”
Tagged in Whitney Houston Wendy Williams Sherri Shepherd