Leah Remini will be guest hosting four episodes of The Wendy Williams Show next week.
The show announced Leah’s guest hosting stint and the panelists covering Monday’s Hot Topics segment in an Instagram post on Thursday.
Leah, 51, will be hosting from October 19, 2021 to October 22, 2021 as Wendy grapples with ‘serious complications’ stemming from her Graves’ disease and thyroid condition.
Filling in: Leah Remini will be guest hosting four episodes of The Wendy Williams Show next week
‘Co-hosts! We’re excited to announce that Emmy winning-producer, New York Times best seller and “Friend to the Show” @LeahRemini will guest host “The Wendy Williams Show” for the very first time on Tuesday (10/19), Wednesday (10/20), Thursday (10/21) and Friday (10/22),’ the show posted.
Additionally, it was announced that Bevy Smith, Michael Yo, Elizabeth Wagmeister, and Devyn Simone would be the panelists breaking down Monday’s Hot Topics.
‘Wendy’s shoes are hard to fill, so we needed to find the right fit,’ executive producer David Perler said of Leah’s upcoming stint in a statement obtained by Page Six.
‘Leah will bring a lot of fun and energy to our viewers with a few surprises along the way.’
Stepping up: Leah, 51, will be hosting from October 19, 2021 to October 22, 2021 amid Wendy’s worsening health condition
‘Friend of the show’: Remini has appeared on the iconic talk show before
The news comes after the show announced Tuesday that Wendy would not be returning to host episodes of her talk show due to her worsening health as she is ‘experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ Disease and her thyroid condition.’
‘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,’ read a statement on behalf of the show.
‘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.’
Announcement: The show revealed Remini would be filling in for four episodes next week
Celeb gossip: Panelists Bevy Smith, Michael Yo, Elizabeth Wagmeister, and Devyn Simone will be breaking down Monday’s Hot Topics
‘Serious complications’: Williams, 57, will not return to host new episodes of her eponymous show due to her worsening health as she is ‘experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves’ Disease and her thyroid condition’ (Pictured Sept 24)
‘Wendy is a valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family and has been so for 12 years. 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 statement concluded.
This is comes after the current season premiere was delayed last month over concerns for Wendy’s health.
Disappointing: A slate of guest hosts and panelists are being put together to helm The Wendy Williams Show when it returns next week, the show announced on Tuesday
Health scare: The announcement will no doubt further disappoint fans who were dismayed last month when she canceled filming the new season of her much-postponed talk show
On the day of the premiere, Williams unexpectedly canceled filming after failing to show up to her Chelsea Studios for shooting.
Fans who had lined up outside in New York had already been issued with tickets and wristbands and signed appearance waivers to be part of the first show of Season 13, when a member of staff made the shock announcement that the star wasn’t coming, and filming was canceled.
‘Wendy has tested negative for Covid,’ the staffer told the disappointed crowd who had waited more than two hours for admission, ‘But her health is still not great, and she wants to be better than ever when she comes back.’
‘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.’ (Pictured Sept 10)
A statement posted on Instagram shortly after said, ‘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 Oct 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.’
Problems: This is comes after the current season premiere was delayed last month over concerns for Wendy’s health; On the day of filming, a Wendy staffer told audience members who had been issued tickets that filming was canceled
That was the latest in a long line of delays for season 13 which had originally been set to kick off September 20th.
Wendy was seen being pushed in a wheelchair on September 21 in New York City by an aid in exclusive DailyMail.com photos.
Filming for Williams’s show has already been postponed multiple times. Weeks ago, a statement posted to Instagram revealed that the double-vaccinated host had tested positive for COVID-19.
Delays: Filming for Williams’s show has already been postponed multiple times. Weeks ago, a statement posted to Instagram revealed that the double-vaccinated host had tested positive for COVID-19
Earlier, prior to her positive test, Williams abruptly pulled out of all promotional events citing unspecified ‘health issues.’
Then, the statement assured fans that Williams couldn’t ‘wait to be back in the purple chair,’ but explained, ‘Wendy is dealing with some ongoing health issues and is undergoing further evaluations.’
The last time Williams appeared on her eponymous show was July 16.
Her diminished appearance came after an NYPD spokesman confirmed to The Sun that she had been transported to hospital for psychiatric evaluation earlier that week.
The officer said, ‘There was a call for a 57-year-old non-violent female who needed psychiatric services at that address on Wednesday morning. They were transported to the hospital.’
Williams’s health struggles and battle with addiction have been well chronicled.
An insider who spoke to the media outlet claimed that the troubled television host was, ‘drinking every day, even when filming the show.’
They said, ‘Everyone is an enabler because they don’t want to lose their job. They see it, they know it, they smell the liquor.’
In 2019 DailyMail.com revealed that Wendy was staying overnight at a private facility called The Pure Recovery Network in Long Island City, New York, after she plunged into alcohol and drug-fueled depression when she fractured her shoulder during a confrontation with her cheating husband, Kevin Hunter.
She broke down in tears on her show and admitted that she had attended the center and was going to meetings.
Her story: In 2019 DailyMail.com revealed that Wendy was staying overnight at a private facility called The Pure Recovery Network in Long Island City, New York, after she plunged into alcohol and drug-fueled depression when she fractured her shoulder during a confrontation with her cheating husband, Kevin Hunter
