Academy Award-winner and EBONY September 2021 digital cover star Jennifer Hudson is slated to host her own daytime talk show titled The Jennifer Hudson Show in the fall of 2022, Variety reports.
Produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, the one-hour syndicated series will air on Fox Television Stations throughout the country.
As Variety first reported back in November, The Jennifer Hudson Show also comes from Ellen production company Telepictures. Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly, executive producers of Ellen, worked as showrunners on Hudson’s test show, which was filmed on DeGeneres’ stage last fall. After a bidding war, Fox TV Stations won the rights to the show.
Hudson’s show is primed to be the studio’s new flagship daytime talk show after DeGeneres retires after her 19-season run.
“I have experienced so much in my life; I’ve seen the highest of the highs, the lowest of the lows, and just about everything in between but as my mother always told me, ‘Once you think you’ve seen it all, just keep on living,’” Hudson said in a statement on Wednesday. “People from around the world have been a part of my journey from the beginning—20 years ago—and I’m so ready to join their journey as we sit down and talk about the things that inspire and move us all. I have always loved people and I cannot wait to connect on a deeper level and let audiences see the different sides of who I am, the human being, in return. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to do it alongside this incredible team. We’re about to have a lot of fun and shake things up a little bit!”
Mike Darnell, president of Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, expressed his excitement about the launch of The Jennifer Hudson Show.
“I knew that Jennifer was a force to be reckoned with from the moment I met her nearly 20 years ago. From her Grammy-winning career in music, to her Oscar-winning acting career, Jennifer’s amazing talent, big heart, and authenticity shine through in everything she does. I am thrilled to be working with her in this new role. She’s a natural, and I know audiences will embrace her in their homes every day.”
The news of the talk show is the latest accomplishment in a banner year for Hudson who recently won the Entertainer of the Year Award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for portraying Aretha Franklin in Respect.
Frank Cicha, executive vice president of programming at Fox Television Stations, stated that Hudson could be the new voice in the daytime talk show world.
“As the syndication business continues to go through a major sea change, we need power players to reenergize talk shows, and Jennifer Hudson is just that,” Cicha said.
