Sherri Shepherd Praises Wendy Williams Amid Talk Show Conclusion: “She’s Up There With The Greats”

Sherri Shepherd has nothing but praise for Wendy Williams following the news that The Wendy Williams Show is ending.

Shepherd, who is set to take over the slot with a talk show of her own in the fall, appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Wednesday.

“She made her own path, but what Wendy does nobody can re-create,” Shepherd said.

"I love her fearlessness, and that is something I want to emulate and keep going. She opened a lot of doors and she’s up there with the greats.”

During the same interview, Shepherd said that Rosie O'Donnell was a pivotal part of her salary negotiations when taking on the full-time gig.

“Rosie told me how much she made and she told me how to negotiate,” Shepherd shared.

"And that’s why I say [to] women we gotta stop being scared to let people know what we make.”

Wendy has been MIA from the series this season due to her ongoing health battle.

Wendy's spokesperson Howard Bragman issued a statement to Deadline in the aftermath of the news of the host change.

“It’s been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues. She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time,” Bragman said.

“She, more than anyone, understands the reality of syndicated television — you can’t go to the marketplace and sell a show that’s The Maybe Wendy Show."

"She understands why this decision was made from a business point of view, and she has been assured by Debmar-Mercury that should her health get to a point where she can host again and should her desire be that she hosts again that she would be back on TV at that time.”

“Sherri is a natural who proved her hosting skills for many years as a panelist on The View, on Fox’s Dish Nation and again this season as a popular guest host of Wendy,” said Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein in a statement.

“Like our viewers, we have been impressed by the unique comedic twist Sherri puts on our daily live ‘Hot Topics’ segment, her creativity and interactions with our guests."