Sherri Shepherd’s departure from The View has become a brief footnote in her professional life as the stars are lining up for a official return to the embattled show.
Daily Mail Online cites sources close to The View who reveal that Shepherd has signed a deal to return to the ABC morning series on a part-time basis this fall. In her return, Shepherd will be among a group of rotating co-hosts that will occupy the fifth seat on the panel of “The View.” According to an insider, current plans call for Shepherd to co-host the show at least twice a week.
The rotating co-host concept represents ABC’s attempt to breathe new life into the show. Others expected to fill the rotating co-host slot are fashion expert Stacy London, model Molly Sims and conservative actress Candace Cameron Bure.
Shepherd’s tenure at “The View” has been well-documented since she joined the show in 2007. After seven seasons and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, 48-year-old comedienne left the show in August 2014 after contract negotiations with ABC fell through.
Shepherd eventually resurfaced on “The View” on May 28 as her initial return on May 28 was given high marks from executives at ABC News.
“Though the show was taped in advance and Whoopi Goldberg was out dealing with the death of her brother, everyone was blown away by how Sherri brought the energy of a live broadcast to the taped show. She had been so missed by the producers that many of them cried when she walked in the building,” a network source told Daily Mail Online, adding that the quest to make Shepherd’s return official started as soon as the May 28 episode aired.
As for when ABC will start the rotating co-host era on The View, all plans from the network call for it to happen before the daytime TV series goes on hiatus the first week in August.
Shepherd’s pending return comes after Rosie Perez’s announcement last week that she will be leaving “The View” after the show’s 18th season. Adding to that is news of Michelle Collins officially coming on board “The View” as a full-time co-host next season.
As things seem to be coming together for “The View,” there remains the question of Nicolle Wallace’s status on the show. While she has emerged as a favorite among viewers for her warm manner of presenting conservative Republican views, The Daily Mail noted that executives with The View prefer their conservative voice to be in the mold of the show’s former polarizing co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
“Nicolle is a hit with viewers. She’s gone from being the least-known of the new co-hosts, to a favorite of the audience members and even the celebrity guests who appear on the show,” said the site’s source, who acknowledged that while Wallace has been praised by Arsenio Hall and original The View co-host Joy Behar, ” ABC is considering someone less compassionate in their presentation like Candace.”
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(Photo Source: Sherri Shepherd Instagram)
