NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Wendy Williams will not be present for her show's 13th season premiere.
The 57-year-old is extending her health-related hiatus as her talk show returns next week, her producers announced Tuesday.
“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,” said the production company, Debmar-Mercury, in an Instagram post.
Williams was set to return with a new season on Sept. 20 before postponing the show due to her COVID-19 diagnosis in mid-September.
She has since tested negative for the deadly virus, but ongoing health conditions have forced her to remain sidelined, her producers said.
“Wendy continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis,” they said in a statement. “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,” the producers added.
Debmar-Mercury assured fans Williams is a “valued and stalwart member of the Debmar-Mercury family” and added that they appreciate the respect for her privacy.
“We want her health to be her top priority,” the company added. “As soon as she's ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair."
The premiere episode will see a panel of hosts, including Devyn Simone, Bevy Smith, Elizabeth Wagmeister and Michael Yo.
The press release notes they will “tackle the juiciest headlines in the news and share their take on the hottest topics.”
PageSix announced that Leah Remini will also step in as a temporary guest host.
“Wendy’s shoes are hard to fill, so we needed to find the right fit,” executive producer David Perler said in a statement obtained by the outlet on Thursday. “Leah will bring a lot of fun and energy to our viewers with a few surprises along the way.”
According to the press release, the 51-year-old will host starting next Tuesday through Friday for each hour-long episode.
On September 18, the show confirmed Williams tested positive in a breakthrough case of COVID-19, forcing the first delay of season 13.
The show was delayed a second time on September 30 due to the health complications Williams is currently struggling with. “Her breakthrough COVID case is no longer an issue and she has tested negative, but she is still dealing with some ongoing medical issues,” the show’s statement read at the time.
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