Leah Remini and Michelle Visage on Why They Agreed to Guest Host 'The Wendy Williams Show' (Exclusive)
The TV personalities spoke with ET about helming the daytime talk show in Wendy Williams' absence.
Leah Remini and Michelle Visage recently finished their run as guest hosts on The Wendy Williams Show, and the stars are opening up about the experience, and why they signed on in the first place.
The pair spoke with ET's Denny Directo via video chat from their hotel room, and admitted that getting up at 4 a.m. every morning to host the show proved to be a lot.
"We just finished our day and our two weeks," Remini shared. "We had a great time but we are--"
"Exhausted," Visage chimed in.
As Remini explained, they enjoyed their time as guest hosts, but they have a lot of love and respect for Williams and the show that she's crafted and cultivated over her years on the air.
"We had a great time with Wendy’s crew, and again, this is something she built and we're just getting to guest in, and there are other guest hosts and we love them all and we support them all," Remini shared.
As for why they both wanted to co-host the show during Williams' leave of absence, Remini said, "We thought it was going to be fun, for starters."
"We've been best friends for a long time and so this was the perfect thing," she added. "And then to come to New York during the holiday season [was] so magical."
Remini and Visage are among a number of guest hosts who have helmed the talk show since the start of the season, after the show revealed back in September that Williams tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19, which forced the Sept. 20 season premiere to be postponed.
It was ultimately delayed a second time, with guest hosts filling in for Williams. Not long after in October, the show announced Williams was still struggling with health issues stemming from her Graves' disease and thyroid condition.
However, the fan response to Remini and Visage has been overwhelmingly positive, with some fans calling for the stars to get a daytime talk show of their own.
"Of course we're open to that [possibility], of course," Visage said. "It’s something we both love to do."
"We just don’t know about interviewing celebrities," Remini added. "I mean, like, we interview the celebrities that we know."
Remini said it would only work if the guests they had on were people that they knew and people that are authentic, so they can get real and candid in their conversations.
As for their communication with Williams herself after hosting, Remini and Visage said they hadn't gotten a chance to talk with her yet.
"We haven't spoken to Wendy," Remini said, as Visage shared, "She's taking care of her health."
"And that's number one," Remini added. "But we send her so much love."
In October, The Wendy Williams Show shared a message for fans, explaining, "Wendy continues to be under medical supervision and meets with her medical team on a daily basis. She is making progress but is experiencing serious complications as a direct result of Graves' disease and her thyroid condition. It has been determined that more time is needed before she is able to return to her live hosting duties."
"We want her health to be her top priority," the statement continued. "As soon as she's ready, she will be back in her treasured purple chair."
The Wendy Williams Show announced earlier this week that Williams will not be returning to the talk show in January. Upcoming guest hosts include Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Michael Rapaport, Kym Whitley, Finesse Mitchell and Sherri Shepherd.
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