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The season premiere of The Wendy Williams Show has been postponed once again amid the long-time host’s ongoing health issues. The show was initially scheduled to begin on September 20, but was delayed until October 4 after Wendy Williams tested positive for COVID-19.
However, the Emmy-nominated program will now return on October 18, as the broadcaster continues to receive treatment for her medical condition.
The latest announcement comes just days after The Wendy Williams Show released a teaser for the season 13 of the program.
In the clip, the host can be seen returning to the set of the popular talk show:
Unfortunately, fans will have to wait longer to see the media personality back on her purple chair. So far, the anchor has canceled several media appearances to promote the new season of her show.
Initially, it was not confirmed if the new episodes of the show would feature Williams or return with fill-in guest hosts. However, a representative has reportedly told Page Six that Wendy Williams will be back for her hosting duties starting from October 18.
Wendy Williams’ COVID-19 diagnosis and other health issues explored
On September 10, Wendy Williams announced a temporary hiatus from The Wendy Williams Show citing “ongoing health issues” and need for “further evaluations”. At the time, the season premiere was scheduled to take place on September 20.
However, the plan was postponed until October 4 as the host suffered from a breakthrough case of COVID-19 and tested positive despite being vaccinated.
Although the New Jersey-native media personality is now free from COVID-19, she continues to suffer from health issues.
According to Page Six, the broadcaster went to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, days after getting diagnosed with the virus. On September 21, she was photographed entering a medical facility in a wheelchair.
An NYPD spokesperson reportedly told The Sun that the host required medical attention and was rushed to a healthcare facility:
“There was a call for a 57-year-old non-violent female who needed psychiatric services at that address on Wednesday morning. They were transported to the hospital.”
Sources close to the TV star told the outlet that she was struggling with alcoholism on a daily basis prior to her hospitalization. She reportedly went to rehabilitation in 2019 after her divorce from Kevin Hunter.
She had previously opened up about her battles with substance abuse in her best-selling autobiography Wendy’s Got the Heat.
Wendy Williams has dealt with multiple health issues throughout her career, and reportedly, suffers from Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. She was also diagnosed with lymphedema in 2019, and took an extended break from her show to deal with extreme fatigue last year.
Despite her recurring struggles with health complications, the popular host has always bounced back from her illnesses. It remains to be seen if Williams will be able to make a complete recovery and return to her show in time for the season premiere on October 18.
