Wendy Williams made her return to her eponymous daytime talk show on Monday. Prior to the taping, the host spoke with Amy Robach on Good Morning America to discuss her three-week hiatus during which she was battling Graves’ disease and dealing with thyroid issues.
Wendy Williams tweeted she will be returning to host her syndicated daytime talk show on March 19 after a taking a brief hiatus to focus on her health. She also revealed in the meantime Jerry O’Connell is acting as her replacement.
Wendy Williams revealed today on her syndicated talk show that she has Graves disease and hyperthyroidism, and the show will go on a three-week hiatus beginning Thursday so Williams can focus on her health.
The syndicated talk show host quickly returned and explained that she’d overheated in her Statue of Liberty costume.
The Wendy Williams Show launched with a trial run in 2008 and quickly became a nationally syndicated hit. Williams credits her appeal, particularly among women in her audience, to her “transparency.” Williams’ opinions are in demand. Her television contract was recently renewed through 2022, she’s a best-selling author and has an app about her life off-camera in the works.
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Fox Television Stations join, Media General and Cox in re-upping the syndicated talker, pushing clearances to more than 50% of the U.S. entering NATPE.
Wendy Williams is holding her own in a tough business, even growing her audience in some measurements during her seventh season. The syndicated Wendy Williams Show is watched by roughly 2 million people each day. The bejewelled microphone she carries and the collection of wigs in her dressing room speak to Williams’ outsized personality. She’s noticeably toned things down, however, to broaden her appeal.
Debmar-Mercury exec Mort Marcus (c) says Wendy Williams (l) has it, but Meredith Vieira doesn’t. Marcus and Debmar-Mercury Co-President Ira Bernstein also offered opinions on the outlook for broadcast TV, the impact of station group consolidation on syndication and more.
Her audience has risen sharply in the past year, and her syndicated Wendy Williams Show attracts 2.4 million daily viewers on average, according to Nielsen. Among women 25-54, the most coveted demographic by daytime advertisers, hers is the only talk show to have achieved year-over-year national growth, and Williams now trades off daily with Ellen DeGeneres as the No. 1 female host.
The syndicator’s three first-run shows — Family Feud, Wendy Williams and Celebrity Name Game -— posted strong ratings in the week ending Feb. 22. Celebrity and Wendy hit records in household ratings, while Feud matched its all-time high.
If being a brassy, oversized, larger-than-life personality is the recipe for a long TV shelf life, Williams is cooking on all burners as The Wendy Williams Show celebrates its 1,000th episode today. “It’s unbelievable that we’re still standing,” says Williams. “You can’t take anything for granted, but I have unwavering confidence in my staff and in me carrying the show.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Though the Lifetime movie “Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B” drew criticism from fans upset with casting and the way it depicts Aaliyah’s life, executive producer Wendy […]
The Monday episode’s overnight ratings were up 55% from its year-ago time slots and up 21% from its average lead-in rating.
For the second year in a row, the Debmar-Mercury talker will remains in production in June and July, following its best May sweeps performance in the metered markets.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Talk-show host Wendy Williams is giving part of her diva act to the Smithsonian to be part of a growing collection of items from daytime television. During […]
Lost amid all the ratings news about freshman talk shows (Queen Latifah, Arsenio et al.) is that veteran yakker Wendy Williams is putting up strong numbers in the new season.
“The Wendy Williams Show has as much momentum as any show on our air right now, both qualitatively and quantitatively,” said Frank Cicha, SVP of programming for the Fox Television Stations. “Over the last few years, it’s evolved into the ideal lead-out to our morning news blocks.”
In addition to making adjustments to the Debmar-Mercury talk show’s format and studio, time slot and station upgrades have boosted its women 25-54 ratings, putting it in tie in the talk genre with Katie and Steve Harvey.
Wendy Williams will spend August promoting the third season of her talk show this fall with a 17-station tour, during which she will visit with fans and participate in local events.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wendy Williams will host a new series, “Love Triangle,” a game show-talk show crossover that will put participants to the test with a lie detector. In […]
