Wendy Williams is “super scared” about losing her show, we’re told.
Sources said that the beloved daytime-TV host — who has been absent from her eponymous syndicated show since December for a number of reasons — is unsettled by the apparent success of her stand-ins, and she’s becoming concerned that she won’t be able to make it back on the air in time to save her gig.
“She’s super scared and anxious,” said an insider. “Watching [fill-in host] Nick Cannon being a huge hit with her audience is tough for her. They’re already starting to mess with the format. It’s like watching them screw around with her baby.”
Cannon filled in for Williams Monday through Wednesday this week, and won positive reviews.
“American Pie” actor Jason Biggs hosted Thursday’s edition of the show, and other guests hosts are booked through Feb. 15.
The reasons for Williams’ absence are somewhat murky. Her family announced in January that she had been hospitalized because of complications related to her Graves’ disease. She also fractured her shoulder in December, and she hosted her last appearances on the show wearing a sling.
But there have been persistent rumors that she’s also having personal difficulties involving her husband and the executive producer of the show, Kevin Hunter. Williams seemed to address that issue in a conversation with Cannon, and Cannon then related to the program’s audience that Williams had told him that “she wanted to speak as a family unit and her, Kevin and [their son] Little Kevin said they are all good.”
But, for all her insecurities, Williams can’t rush back now to retake the reins, said a source. “She’s in no state to get back on TV anytime soon,” the source said.