Wendy Williams’ last show date, confirmed

Watching Wendy Williams spill the tea on the latest celebrity gossip while sitting on her iconic purple chair was a staple of daytime talk shows throughout the 2010s. But as with all things beautiful and entertaining, it had to end, leaving fans dejected and longing for the day when the famous television personality could grace the small screen again. Sadly, that is no longer possible. 

What happened to Wendy’s talk show?

The Wendy Williams Show first graced television screens in July 2008 to much fanfare and excitement, since it happened fresh off the success of her nationally syndicated radio show, The Wendy Williams Experience, which aired from 2001 to 2009. Following a six-week trial run, the TV talk show was quickly renewed for a full season, and the rest, as they say, was history. 

Williams’ unique way of discussing celebrity news and updates through her show became an undeniable hit among viewers. It even regularly competed against The Ellen DeGeneres Show for being the top-ranked syndicated talk show. But after 13 years, the daytime talk show suffered a tragic fate when it was forced to abruptly end, not because of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, but due to the host’s health challenges. 

Since fainting on-air during a Halloween episode in 2017, Williams’ health has been on the radar among fans and viewers. In the final year of her show on the air in 2021, the titular star had to go on a medical leave in the middle of the season, forcing producers to bring in a series of guest hosts just to keep the show going, according to the BBC. 

The following year, Debmar-Mercury made the difficult decision of ending The Wendy Williams Show after 13 seasons. Initially, the production company assured everyone that Williams was free to return when she was able. But they already gave the time slot to Sherri Shepherd’s own show, Sherri, which has since been renewed for a third season through 2025.

Did Wendy get to say goodbye to her show?

What’s quite disheartening to note about the cancellation of Williams’ talk show is that the titular host did not get to properly say goodbye to her live audience, purple chair, and all the supporters who stayed with her through the years. When the show aired its final episode on June 17, 2022, Williams was not present, so Shepherd took the reins and bid farewell to the small screen on behalf of the “Queen of all Media,” according to Deadline. 

In the aftermath of the cancellation, Williams spoke out against Debmar-Mercury, telling the New York Post in July 2022 that they did not ask her to appear in the finale, so she didn’t. “There was nothing I liked about the (final episode of) Wendy Williams Show,” she said. “I sat in my apartment, and I watched it. And [I was] like, ‘Eek!’”

In the Lifetime documentary Where is Wendy Williams?, the namesake star admitted that she was still hoping to stage a comeback and stay on TV for many years. In February of this year, her niece Alex Finnie appeared on Good Morning America, saying that despite her health issues, Williams was still keen on continuing her television career. 

Unfortunately, Williams is no longer able to realize her desire to return to her purple chair. Sabrina E. Morrissey, her court-appointed guardian, revealed in new documents this week that her early-onset dementia has gotten worse, and she’s now “cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and legally incapacitated.” But while she may not be able to grace the small screen again, Williams has already cemented her name in the history of talk shows and her legacy will certainly live on for years to come.