Wendy Williams is unlikely to return to her talk show for the rest of the season, with Sherri Shepherd reportedly appointed "permanent guest host".
The 57-year-old presenter has been battling various health issues relating to Graves' disease for several months so hasn't been on “The Wendy Williams Show” since it returned to screens in October and now it's been reported she won't be back any time soon either.
A source told People magazine: "Wendy won't be returning to the show for the rest of this season. Her healing is going slower than everyone had hoped. She continues to deal with a number of medical issues, including Graves' disease, and she and her team are taking it one day at a time.
"But reports of a stroke, drugs or addiction issues or a dementia diagnosis are all false. Whether Wendy can return in the fall will depend on how her healing goes over the summer. Her health is the most important thing."
The news comes after TMZ reported Sherri Shepherd will be named "permanent guest host" of “The Wendy Williams Show” after ratings peaked during her first guest presenting stint in November and she's proved popular on her multiple presenting stints since.
However, a spokesperson for the presenter declined to confirm how long her next hosting stint will run for.
Her representative simply said: "Sherri is thrilled to be invited back to guest host the Wendy Williams Show the week of February 21st. No comment on these rumours."
In addition to Wendy's health issues, Sherri also missed a planned day of presenting in December after having emergency surgery and had to be replaced at the last minute by Michael Rapaport.
Returning to the show the following day, she said: "I'm walking through the streets of New York City and literally it was this excruciating pain in my abdomen and my assistant got me to the hospital, because I was in such agony.
“They put me on an IV and then gave me a CT and came back and said I have appendicitis. I started crying because the doctor said I had to have my appendix taken out right then and there."