The Wendy Williams Show ratings have increased as guest hosts fill in for the talk show star during her health battle
The Wendy Williams Show has had an increase in ratings as guest hosts continue to fill in for the talk show star amid her health concerns.
The show had a 33% boost in household ratings for the week ending in October 24, according to The Wrap.
The Wendy Williams Show was hosted by a panel of personalities when it returned for season 13 on October 18, followed by Leah Remini as guest host for the remainder of the week.
Boost in ratings: The Wendy Williams Show has had an increase in ratings as guest hosts fill in for the eponymous host amid her health concerns
Initially, the show was scheduled to premiere on September 20, but was postponed from September 20 to October 18 in light of Wendy’s health issues.
On the week it premiered, it had a slight increase in ratings with a 0.8 posting – a difference from the previous week’s ratings of 0.5, according to The Wrap.
However, some of the improvement was likely due to the fact that the show was airing reruns at the time.
The same week a year ago obtained a 0.9 rating, however ‘overall downward trends make it difficult to assign blame or praise to this particular performance,’ adds the website.
Filling in: Whitney Cummings was among one of the stars stepping in for Wendy amid her health concerns
Stepping up: Leah Remini filled in for Wendy from October 19 to 22
Season 13 premiered with a panel of guest hosts including Devyn Simone and Bevy Smith, followed by Leah Remini stepping in as guest host from October 19 to 22.
Comedian Whitney Cummings filled in for Wendy from October 25 to 29, followed by Sherri Shepherd from November 1 to 5.
The show has been updating fans on Wendy’s health over the last few weeks on their Instagram account.
A post on the show’s social media accounts stated: ‘The Wendy Williams Show will start airing originals on Monday, October 18, with an exciting lineup of guest hosts and panels to be announced shortly.
Health issues: Williams has been grappling with health issues that have led to the postponement of her show’s premiere
Star-studded: The show announced Leah would be guest hosting in mid-October
‘Wendy continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis. She is making progress but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ Disease and her thyroid condition.
‘It has been determined that more time is needed before she is able to return to her live hosting duties. Wendy is a valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family and has been so for 12 years.’
Producers want the star to prioritize her health but will welcome her back to the show once she is ‘ready’ to return.
The statement added: ‘We want her health to be her top priority. As soon as she’s ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair. We very much appreciate the respect for Wendy’s privacy, as well as all the good wishes from her fans, station partners and advertisers.’
The Wendy Williams Show was supposed to return to screens on September 20 for its 13th season but was delayed until October 4 due to the host’s medical issues, and it was later confirmed the return had been pushed back again until 18 October.
A statement earlier this month announced: ‘Wendy will not be returning with new shows on October 4.
‘She has been and continues to be under a doctor’s care and is still not ready to return to work.
‘We plan to return with new shows on October 18. Her breakthrough COVID case is no longer an issue and she has tested negative, but she is still dealing with some ongoing medical issues.’
Hot Topics! Sherri Shepherd is currently guest hosting the hit show