Key Takeaways
- Sherri Shepherd confirmed her talk show, “Sherri,” will not return for a fifth season.
- She thanked her audience and team, emphasizing her desire to continue creating space for joy and connection.
- Shepherd reflected on the show’s journey and the importance of representation in daytime television.
Sherri Shepherd returned to her daytime stage with honesty, humor, and heart — and she didn’t sugarcoat the moment.
On Monday (Feb. 9), Shepherd addressed the cancellation of her syndicated talk show, “Sherri,” for the first time since the news broke earlier this month. The episode marked her return after a brief COVID-related absence and quickly turned into an emotional conversation with the audience she welcomed into her life for four seasons. “This is a hard morning for all of us here at ‘Sherri,’ and I know that you have seen the news and I’m ready to address it,” Shepherd said at the top of the broadcast. “Our show has not been renewed for another season. I want to… I want to say to y’all, try not to faint or fall out ‘cause health care is expensive and none of us have it anymore. So, y'all don’t fall out.”
Despite the news, Shepherd made it clear that gratitude, not bitterness, is what’s guiding her through this chapter. “But I have to say… in thinking about it, I’m truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that I have received from all of you,” she said. “From the audience to everybody on social media, to people who stopped me in the store and still talk to me despite me not having a wig on, they still talk to me. From the emails and the texts, the messages, I feel every bit of the love that you’ve been sending to me. And thank you so much.”
She went on to express her appreciation to viewers for inviting her into their homes every day and reminded them why the show mattered to her in the first place. “I wanna thank you for laughing and crying with us. Thank you for supporting my unhealthy obsession with Lenny Kravitz. But I gotta tell you, when I first started, the show was built on one thing, and what I wanted it built on was joy,” the Straw star continued. “The intention of this show was always… my prayer for you to leave happier than when you came... It has been my dream to have a talk show, and I’m so grateful I got the chance to do it for four seasons.”
Sherri Shepherd says she plans to keep fighting to save the show
While “Sherri” will air its final episodes this fall, Shepherd isn’t done fighting. “I’m not ready to throw in the towel on this show just yet,” she said. “We’re going to be airing episodes all through the fall, and we’re going to continue to fight to keep the show alive in some way, shape or form.”
The Chicago native added, “If anybody knows me, they know I’m a fighter. I am a fighter. Now I don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like, but I promise I will continue to spread joy.”
True to form, Shepherd ended on laughter — joking about her producer’s plans to streak, her friend Kim Whitley’s alleged green room theft, and reminding fans that, like their favorite auntie, she plans to stay in their business a little longer. Check out the full message below.