Jennifer Hudson has been picked up by Fox Television Stations and Hearst Television for a fall 2022 debut, with the Warner Bros.-produced daytime talker sold in more than 60% of the country so far.
“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,” said Frank Cicha, executive vice president, programming, Fox Television Stations, in a statement.
The Jennifer Hudson Show joins Fox’s daytime lineup this fall along with Debmar-Mercury’s new talker, Sherri, starring Sherri Shepherd. Sherri will take over Wendy Williams’ time slots on Fox stations.
“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.
“People from around the world have been a part of my journey from the beginning – twenty 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!”
Like her soon-to-be fellow talk-show host, Kelly Clarkson, Hudson first came to fame as a contestant on American Idol, ending her season-three run as a finalist. She went on to win an Oscar for playing Effie in the movie Dreamgirls. She’s also won two Grammys and an Emmy and is a Tony away from an EGOT. She recently starred as Aretha Franklin in the film Respect, a role for which she was hand-picked by Franklin.
“I knew that Jennifer was a force to be reckoned with from the moment I met her nearly 20 years ago,” said Mike Darnell, president, Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, also in a statement. “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 Jennifer Hudson Show will be produced in Los Angeles by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures. It will be executive produced by some of the EPs behind Warner Bros.’ The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, led by David Decker, executive vice president, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. ■
