Sherri Shepherd Halts Talk Show Due To Health Diagnosis
Only a few days after resuming her talk show, Sherri Shepherd has tested positive for COVID, forcing Sherri to pause production.
“Unfortunately, Sherri has tested positive for COVID. The show will return with original episodes as soon as possible. For the remainder of this week, encore episodes from the beginning of the premiere week will air,” said a statement posted by the show’s X account. “The health of our host and entire staff is of the utmost importance.”
“I am absolutely heartbroken that I cannot return to host my show this week,” Shepherd said in the statement. “As soon as I get the all-clear from my doctor, I look forward to coming back strong to deliver the fun, laughter and a real good time.”
— 📺 SHERRI 📺 (@sherrishowtv) September 20, 2023
The Timing Of Sherri Shepherd’s COVID Diagnosis
On Monday, Sherri returned for a new season amid some questions about crossing the picket line. But unlike the controversy surrounding The Drew Barrymore Show’s brief choice to resume production, Sherri is not covered by the WGA. According to Shepherd, the decision to resume her show does not interfere with the ongoing strike.
“There has been so much confusion about who can work and who can’t work. Well, I’m a SAG-AFTRA actress and I actually marched with some of my colleagues while in Los Angeles recently,” Shepherd said on her show on Monday. “But here’s the thing, talk shows in general fall under a different union contract code. So we’re allowed to come back unless you’re a WGA show. The Sherri show is not a WGA show and we have never employed WGA writers.”
“Us coming back to work isn’t crossing the picket line,” Shepherd continued. “I stand in solidarity with my union. Talk shows operate under the SAG-AFTRA Network Code. The code is separate from what has been focused on in an ongoing labor dispute throughout the summer.
Sherri Shepherd’s talk show @sherrishowtv returned — it is not struck, as it does not employ any WGA writers (and never has). Sherri addressed the strikes today: “Us coming back to work isn’t crossing the picket line…I stand in solidarity with my union.” https://t.co/E3XdYe4XoZ
— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) September 18, 2023
Talk Shows Through The Strikes
Only a handful of daytime talk shows have resumed production amid the WGA and SAG strikes. The Tamron Hall Show and Live with Kelly and Mark have each aired new episodes. But like Sherri, those shows are able to operate under the SAG-AFTRA Network Code. They do not employ any WGA writers as well.
One daytime talk show that has been met with the majority of the ire has been The View. Unlike Sherri, The View employs several WGA writers. The View has continued production throughout the strikes, resulting in picketers at the show’s production site.
“They are an employer of WGA writers,” Monarch showrunner Melissa London Hilfers told Deadline. She compared The View airing new episodes to “a huge slap in the face of labor that they are on the air.”
"'They are an employer of WGA writers,' Monarch showrunner @melissahilfers told Deadline, calling it 'a huge slap in the face of labor that they are on the air'" #WGAstrike https://t.co/umme8xmmY6
— Writers Guild of America, East (@WGAEast) September 20, 2023
How do you feel about Sherri Shepherd’s COVID diagnosis? Do you think she should have waited until the strikes were over to resume her show? Let us know what you think down below in the comments section.
- ‘Love Is Blind’s’ Izzy Zapata Claps Back At Ex’s Cheating Claims - September 2, 2024
- Tamra Judge From ‘RHOC’ Throws A Thrilling Traitor’s Party - August 31, 2024
- Stacy Snyder From ‘Love Is Blind’ Comes Out, Reveals Girlfriend - August 29, 2024