dpDaytime television has changed since The Wendy Williams Show came to an end, according to the host’s former producer, Norman Baker, who claimed something is still missing from the genre since Williams’ exit.
Norman Baker, who worked as a producer on The Wendy Williams Show before later joining Sherri, recently opened up about his time working alongside Wendy Williams and why he believes her particular brand of television has yet to be replicated.
“I feel like no one’s been able to fill the void that she created,” Baker said during his appearance on the Thursday, September 10, episode of Awf the Record. “I feel like she was so irreverent and she spoke her mind and like nobody really is allowed to do that, especially a Black woman. Being allowed to do that on daytime television is a big deal and I feel like nobody really does that anymore, you know?”
Throughout her 13 seasons hosting the beloved talk show, Williams became known for her quick wit and outspoken personality. Her legacy lives on as clips from the series continue to circulate on social media, giving the show “a whole other life now.”
“When you’re doing it, you don’t really realize the gravity of what you’re doing,” he explained. “And when the show ended, people are still coming up to me and talking about things that they see on TikTok…But when we were doing it, I never really realized what we were doing and we were kind of making history, I guess.”
Baker added, “I just want people to continue to celebrate that crazy show because we had no idea that we were making something good.”
Williams launched her own talk show in July 2008 and would regularly compete with The Ellen DeGeneres Show as the top-ranked syndicated talk show. However, in 2021, the beloved host was forced to take an indefinite leave of absence due to various medical issues. Sherri Shepherd was ultimately tapped as her replacement.
This story was originally published by Parade on Sep 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
