
Radio host Williams begins national TV talk show this week
She's baaack.
Wendy Williams is back on daytime television for good — or as long as the ratings gods will allow, anyway. Her hourlong talk show, "The Wendy Williams Show," debuts Monday on Fox stations across the country, airing live in this area at 10 a.m. on Fox Channel 5.
For this girl who grew up in Ocean Township and has been a fixture on the radio scene for more than 20 years, the national television spotlight is a long time coming.
"It feels good to be here. My life will never be the same. But I'm ready for this," she said with quiet sincerity. "It really is amazing, and this is a dream come true. I'm not going to blow it. I'm ready."
Then, with the arch, wink-wink side of her persona that is never far away, she drawls, "I've even been working out to maintain the ow factor."
For those unfamiliar with Wendy-speak, that's ow, spoken with a drag queenesque purr. It's the same drawl used for Williams' trademark greeting (and signifier of questionable sexuality): "How you doin'?"
Get used to hearing it a lot along with other Williams signatures, such as the sly "Alriiight?" — preferably said with a certain arch to the eyebrow.
The talk show, which had a six-week test run last summer on Fox in four major markets (New York, Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles), isn't Williams' first foray into television. She had a brief run with a self-produced show that aired on VH1 in 2006.
But this show, which she is co-producing with industry heavyweight Debmar-Mercury, is clearly the big time — and Williams knows it.
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