Sherri Shepherd Speaks on Wendy Williams as She Officially Takes Over Her Time Slot

Sherri Shepherd’s new talk show, Sherri, is set to premiere on Monday. In advance of the Sept. 12 premiere, Shepherd spoke out about replacing Wendy Williams to Variety. During the interview, she acknowledged how it feels to step into the same time slot that The Wendy Williams Show occupied for so long. 

Shepherd was asked whether it was “daunting” to step into Williams’ time slot for her own show. However, she said that she’s trying not to compare her show or experience to her predecessor, as she said that this can only breed “trouble.” Shepherd said, “I think that you start getting a little bit in trouble when you start comparing yourself to someone else. If I take all that pressure, like Wendy is leaving, Ellen is leaving, I am going to go crazy.” The 30 Rock alum went on to say that she’s simply going to focus on her own show and journey instead of comparing it to Williams. 

“All I can do is focus on who Sherri is and what has gotten Sherri to this place where she is right now, and it has been nobody but God and me, so I cannot compare myself to Wendy,” Shepherd added. “I’m very, very different from Wendy. If you love Wendy, I am really hoping that you love parts of “Sherri,” and I’ll step out to try to prove it to you. And I’m hoping that if you love “Ellen,” you’re going to love “Sherri.” In addition to speaking about taking over Williams’ time slot, Shepherd also addressed the talk show icon’s mark on morning television as a whole. 

According to Shepherd, Williams is “up there with the greats — with Oprah and Rosie and Sally Jesse Raphael.” She added, “Wendy has now taken a spot up there with women who have carved their own lane, so we cannot forget that.” It was reported in February that Shepherd would be taking over for Williams. Shepherd had long been guest hosting the program in Williams’ absence, as the latter was reportedly experiencing health issues. To announce the news, she said, “OMG! I am so excited to have my dream come true and debut my very own talk show SHERRI in the fall. I can’t wait until I return to NY to host the show and merge everything I love…pop culture, talk, entertainment and comedy. I am thankful to Debmar-Mercury and FOX for partnering with me on this show and look forward to this new journey.”