Sherri Shepherd to Make Key Change to ‘Hot Topics’ After Officially Replacing Wendy Williams

Sherri Shepherd isn’t following Wendy Williams’ model in dishing out Hot Topics on her new daytime talk show. Shepherd’s show premiered on Sept. 12 in Williams’ former time slot. The former The View co-host was one of a handful of celebrities who filled in for Williams during the final season of The Wendy Williams Show as Williams was on a hiatus to address reported medical and mental health issues. She recently checked into a wellness center to address her ailments in a complete way, but reports allege she’s actually in treatment for substance abuse. In the meantime, Shepherd is showing daytime TV watchers a new way to give celebrity gossip.

While The Jamie Foxx Show alum is happy to talk about all things pop culture, she says it won’t be with the same candor as Williams. In an interview with Variety, Shepherd explains her method. “I love hot topics. I did our brand of Hot Topics with Jenny McCarthy on The View. I do pop culture every single day of Dish Nation. And so, whether or not I was filling in for Wendy, there would be some form of Hot Topics on my show because I love pop culture,” she explained, referencing her past experience has prepared her to do so on her own this time. 

But what she won’t do is be mean in her opinions, seemingly a polite dig at the way Williams gave her to take “What I want to do is make it fun and friendly because I never want anybody to feel worse because they watched me talk about them, because I’ve been on the receiving end of that. I’m always coming from a place of love and joy and fun,” she continued. “That’s my motto for life. So, you won’t see me doing anything where the person’s feelings are going to be hurt and they’re going be upset. I really want people to go, “Sherri’s show talked about me today! I was one of her Hot Topics!” So yes, I will be doing that. It’ll be a continuation of what I do on Dish Nation, what I used to do on The View, and what I do on my podcast Two Funny Mamas with Kym Whitley.”