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Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated daytime talk show is pausing for a while for health and safety reasons. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the show announced that Shepherd has unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19.
Sherri Shepherd to Pause Talk Show After Positive COVID Test
COVID cases in New York, where the filming of Sherri takes place, have been increasing in the past weeks. The television host has apparently contracted the virus, causing a temporary delay in the taping of the show.
“I am absolutely heartbroken that I cannot return to host my show this week,” Shepherd said in a 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,”
Amid the turbulent daytime landscape, Shepherd’s show kicked off its second season this week on FOX. This comes after a chaotic few weeks, where The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show and The Talk have delayed their premieres due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
However, even though Sherri is allowed to air (the show doesn’t employ WGA writers), COVID proved to be a nuisance. Until Shepherd is clear to return on television, the syndicated daytime show will be airing its reruns.
“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. The health of our host and entire staff is of the utmost importance,” Sherri’s producers stated.
She Explains Why Her Show Can Return Amid Strike
During the season premiere, Shepherd expressed her solidarity with SAG-AFTRA. The television host also addressed the “confusion about who can work and who can’t work” amid ongoing strike.
“Talk shows in general fall under a different union contract code, so we are allowed to come back—unless you are a WGA show. Now, The Sherri Shepherd Show is not a WGA show,” she said. “We have never employed WGA writers. So us coming back to work is not crossing the picket line.”
Shepherd continued and stated that she writes her own jokes, and her comedic take on the headlines is her voice. Such is the reason why they don’t have WGA writers at Sherri.
“My heart is breaking for all of the people that cannot work right now, and I hope that our industry can get this strike resolved soon. I stand in solidarity with my union,” she said.
Later, Shepherd addressed some of the SAG-AFTRA’s issues in the strike such as residuals and artificial intelligence. Stating she joins the march against artificial intelligence, the host quipped about her irreplaceable breasts.
“I am here to tell you as an actress, AI, you are not gonna replace all of this ass. You cannot do it. I will not stand for it. AI, you cannot replace this humor, you cannot replace my sass, and AI, you cannot replace these boobs!” she joked.
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