Wendy Williams is ‘crazy jealous’ as ratings rise with fill-in Sherri Shepherd during ailing host’s absence from show
WENDY Williams is “jealous” of Sherri Shepherd's ratings during the host's long absence from her daytime talk show, sources have exclusively told The Sun.
Sherri, 54, returned to the show for another hosting stint just a few days after she underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis.
One source told The Sun that Sherri winning over Wendy’s audience has become a thorn in the ailing host’s side.
As the source put it: “Sherri is the closest to Wendy that her fans are going to get, and she’s funny!”
“Wendy can't stand watching people fill in for her. She just can't, and especially someone like Sherri who is getting the love from her own audience."
The insider also noted the daytime diva has grown frustrated during her time off for medical reasons.
“Wendy gets crazy jealous, and having to sit on the sidelines is eating her up but there's no way around it.”
“The show must continue and when Sherri's on, the numbers go up."
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SHERRI’S OWN HEALTH SCARE:
Sherri was scheduled to fill in for Wendy on Monday, but after feeling some pain in her stomach the day before, her plan took a turn.
On , she explained what happened: "I’m walking through the streets of New York and it, literally, it was this excruciating pain in my abdomen."
The 54-year-old confessed she was in such "agony" her personal assistant took her to the hospital.
Still, the talk show host kept her spirits high and continued to joke.
"I went to the hospital only because I thought they were going to prescribe like a higher dosage Metamucil," she shared. "But they put me, literally, they put me on an IV."
After a quick cat scan, doctors told Wendy she had appendicitis.
"I started crying because the doctor said that I needed to have my appendix taken out like right then and there."
Once the doctors explained that if her appendix did burst, she could die, the former The View host had little choice but to opt for surgery.
Two days later Sherri was back in the host chair, cracking jokes about the whole ordeal.
"So glad to be back," she said at the start of the show. "It is so amazing how good life is when you don’t have your appendix. You feel lighter.
"I asked everybody before I went into surgery, I said since you're gonna be in my body anyway, can you do liposuction?
"Then I asked can you just take the fat off my stomach and put it in my booty? But everybody refused to give me anything."
She ended the show's open by turning serious and thanking the doctors and staff at Bellevue Hospital for their help.
GUEST HOSTS
The View alum has been one of many celebrities chosen to fill in for the show's star Wendy Williams, 57, as she continues to battle health complications related to her Graves Disease.
Earlier this month, the network announced another slew of guest hosts to be taking the stage, despite rumors that Sherri could be staying for good.
Well-known names such as Fat Joe and Remy Ma, Michael Rapaport, Kym Whitley, and Finesse Mitchell, each have slots on the schedule for January.
The show's executive producer David Perler addressed the decision in a press release: “We’re looking forward to producing new and exciting shows in 2022 and we can’t wait to return in the new year with all of our guest hosts.
“Each of the outstanding guest hosts brings a unique and distinctive style to the successful ‘Wendy' format with their individual personalities while also making sure that Wendy’s show remains consistent for the loyal Wendy watchers.”
WENDY'S WOES
Back in September, The Sun was first to report that police received a 911 call from Wendy’s Manhattan building at 8 am about a “57-year-old female in need of psychiatric services.”
The Sun later reported that the TV personality had been “struggling with addiction” leading up to her hospitalization.
“Wendy was drinking every day, even while filming the show,” an insider previously revealed to The Sun, as she continues to battle health complications related to her Graves Disease as well contracting COVID-19.
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As the star's health complications continued, the popular program was postponed from its original return date of September 20.
A source told The Sun that production will announce early next year that Wendy is permanently leaving her purple chair after suffering from serious health issues.