No matter how she slices it, Wendy Williams is not returning to her eponymous talk show this fall.
The TV host remains emphatic that she’ll be back in her purple chair in September — but it’s “logistically impossible,” according to multiple insiders.
For starters, TV pros point out, the production company, Debmar-Mercury, signed a deal with “The View” alum Sherri Shepherd to take over Williams’ time slots.
“Where’s she gonna go? It’s done. Logistically, it won’t work. Sherri has her time slots,” an insider told Page Six.
Williams sat down for an IG Live with Fat Joe over the weekend and insisted she’ll “absolutely” be returning, and that she won’t be tuning in for Shepherd’s show.
“I’m coming back to ‘The Wendy Williams Show.’ Absolutely. Absolutely,” she told the rapper, who has been filling in with Remy Ma as a guest host during Williams’ absence.
And when it comes to Shepherd’s show: “That’s not really my thing… anyway, but I love being on my own show, and I love that people love to watch it all the time,” she said.
Fat Joe has been one of multiple guest hosts to fill in for Williams during her year-long absence. Williams even told him she only wants him and Ma to fill in for her going forward.
“I love everyone hosting it, but I have to say, I wish you only did that… I love you two or just her or just you,” she said.
Another insider told us Debmar-Mercury “is not happy” that Fat Joe interviewed Williams.
“He didn’t give them a heads-up about it and she did not appear well. She didn’t seem like she was all there. At times, she couldn’t even complete a sentence,” the source said.
They also said the elephant in the room is that “Wendy is uninsurable.”
“She has not been able to consistently work… She did not have the mental and physical capacity to host her show,” they said. “[Debmar] wanted her back more than anybody. They would’ve loved for her to finish out this chapter.”
“The Wendy Williams Show” will officially end in June. Williams — who originally stepped away from her show due to ongoing health issues — could not be reached for comment. A rep for the show and Debmar-Mercury did not get back to us.
Williams is currently in a nasty legal battle with Wells Fargo after they froze her account in February claiming she needs guardianship. Williams is also mounting her comeback. She hit up a Met gala afterparty last week and was also recently seen at power eatery Fresco By Scotto talking to pals about her planned TV comeback.
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