Wendy Williams says she’s ready to get back to work — even if it means risking it all. The self-proclaimed “queen of media” made an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show on Friday (March 20) where she detailed receiving a phone call about her show being temporarily shut down.
“They said, ‘We’re all shutting down everything, all the networks. Nobody is going to be doing new shows. We want all the hosts to be well,’” Williams said according to the New York Post.
Williams, 55, had been hosting the show with her staff taking the place of a studio audience. “I said ‘But I can do it even with no audience,” she recalled. “I don’t even have to have the staffers there because I did that for two days.’ But they said, ’No. We need to have you home, indefinitely.’ There will be no more Wendy, or any of the other people, for a period of time.”
The daytime talk show has been airing reruns since March 12.
“I’m willing to risk it with one camera and a flashlight,” added Williams. “I’m ready to go back to work next week.”
Williams also shared some tips on sanitizing money in wake of coronavirus.
How long does #COVID19 last on bills and coins? I talked to @wendywilliams about this hot topic. pic.twitter.com/GRH2SmLXPY
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) March 20, 2020
Williams may be itching to get back to work but her show isn’t likely to return with new episodes by next weeks. Several daytime talk shows have either shut down completely, or continued taping without an audience.
On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order directing “all non-essential business statewide to close in-office functions.” The new restrictions will go into effect on Sunday (March 22) at 8 p.m. local time, and requires all for-profit and non-profit employers reduce “in-person workforce by 100%.” State and local authorities are exempt.
“Essential” businesses are described as health care operations (including laboratories, hospitals, walk-in health care facilities, elder care, etc.), utilities, hotels and other places of accommodation, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, sanitation, laundromats, auto repair shops, funeral homes, news media, banks, payroll, food banks and homeless shelters.