Sherri Shepherd Falls Ill, Talk Show Tapings Canceled

As COVID-19 is on the rise again, Sherri Shepherd has fallen ill. The official Instagram account for Shepherd's talk show, Sherri, broke the news to followers that the host and actress has tested positive for COVID. The show will resume with new episodes "as soon as possible." The talk show only came back on Monday for its second season, so the remainder of the week will see encore episodes air in place of the new ones that were supposed to air.

In a statement, Shepherd said she was "absolutely heartbroken that I cannot return to host my show this week. As soon as I get the all-clear from my doctor, I look forward to coming back strong to deliver the fun, laughter, and a real good time." Having to back out of tapings only three days into the new season is not ideal, but it is in everyone's best to cancel out of precaution for however long Shepherd needs to get back on her feet. Luckily, it sounds like she is doing fine and is looking forward to getting back.

While some daytime talk shows have had to delay their returns due to the WGA strike and much backlash, like The Drew Barrymore Show and The Talk, Sherri is one of the few that is able to continue. Via TVLine, the Emmy winner explained during the show's season premiere that "Talk shows, in general, fall under a different union contract code, so we're allowed to come back unless you're a WGA show. The Sherri show is not a WGA show, and we have never employed WGA writers, so us coming back to work isn't crossing the picket line."

Sherri first premiered just over a year ago. In January, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second and third season through 2025. With the show continuing amidst the strikes, it could be a bit tricky having actors on since they can't promote anything. However, there are some projects still filming during the strikes because they have an Interim Agreement or film under a different union, so those are a possibility as well. Not to mention, there are still musicians, athletes, reality stars, influencers, and more that Sherri Shepherd could interview.  

Hopefully, Shepherd is able to return to her talk show soon. Falling ill during the first week of the season is not fun, but at least she was able to get a few episodes out. Fans will just have to keep a lookout for their local TV listings and Shepherd's social media to see when Sherri will return with all new episodes.