Sherri Shepherd promises her talk show will NOT be ‘mean,’ wants Oprah and Meryl Streep as guests

Sherri Shepherd has moved from Los Angeles to New York City – with the help of Hertz – where she will star in her very own talk show, titled Sherri, filling a time slot vacated by troubled Wendy Williams.

And the 55-year-old star has talked to DailyMail.com exclusively about what her plans are for her new program, which kicks off in September.

One of the things she stressed is that there will be no mean jabs (unlike Wendy’s Hot Topics segment that often slammed the Kardashians and Jenners) and she will certainly be celebrity friendly as she would like to land some A-list guests like Oprah and Meryl Streep. ‘I’m about joy,’ she shared.

Sherri talked to DailyMail.com after Hertz helped her make the big movie east. They even put her face and name on the side of the vans while helping her fill her new NYC pad with her items.

As far as the show, which will air on FOX Television Stations and broadcasters nationwide, she is going to make is positive.

‘Let’s be clear, I’m not a mean person at all!’ she shared, which will be a stark contrast to Williams, who memorably took pot shots at Kylie Jenner’s daughter Stormi.

‘I’m all about positive energy. I’m about joy. I’m about kindness and laughter. Anyone that knows me will tell you just that,’ Sherri told DailyMail.com.

‘And that’s what my talk show will embody. Why would it be anything but that? As a celebrity myself, I know what it’s like to not feel safe appearing on a show or hoping a host doesn’t try to have a gotcha-moment with you. It will be a celebrity-friendly zone on Sherri.’

Her dream guest is Michelle Obama.

‘And of course, she can bring the guy that she is married to that ran our country too!’ joked the star.

‘You know I want Oprah! Who wouldn’t? I would so love to sit opposite of Meryl Streep! And you know I have a crush on Regé-Jean Page, he has to come,’ she noted.

‘And Trevor Noah, he’s a priority too. I’d love to do a duet with Pat Benatar. And I must celebrate the living legend that is actress Marla Gibbs—that queen deserves her flowers.’

And she is happy to take on the role of talk show host: ‘I couldn’t be more excited to join the genre that has given us names like Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael, Rolonda Watts, Montell Williams and Ricki Lake. I hope to make the impact those titans of talk have made when Sherri premieres live on September 12. I’m grateful!’

Talking on the post of talk show host is a challenge, but she is happy to take it on: ‘I tell everyone to run towards the thing that scares you, move in the direction of the things that challenge you.’

So far she does not feel pressure to dazzle after fan favorite Wendy left the network.

‘I only feel pressure to go out there and be authentically Sherri,’ said the stand up comedienne.

‘I put pressure on myself to make sure I’m bringing my best self each time I step onto that set. Making sure I can offer people one-hour of joy, laughter and inspiration is the only thing I’m worried about. 

‘And I’m confident that I’ve got a great team at Debmar-Mercury helping me achieve that goal each day.’

As far as work stress and anxiety, she looks to a higher power to help her.

‘My faith is the center of all things. When work gets stressful, when I get in my head and second-guess myself; I stop and pray,’ said Sherri.

‘Prayer centers me. It gets me back on track. And I’ve surrounded myself with some folks that can tell when I need some extra muscle and they’ll grab me and pray when I’m not strong enough to pray for myself. 

‘Sometimes it takes a village to make this magic, but I’ve been blessed with a God-loving village that holds me down.’ 

And she is excited to get back to the busy pace of New York, a city she knows well after living there for nine years while doing The View and starring in Cinderella on Broadway.

‘I’ve got to say, there’s no matching the energy of The Big Apple,’ said the talent.

‘I’m really excited myself and so is my son Jeffrey, because he gets to now hangout with his friends here that he could only talk to on FaceTime while we lived on the West Coast. What better place for him to find his independence as a young man than New York City!’

This all feels familiar to her as she shot a pilot for a talk show back in 2005.

‘I think it was for my own show. It didn’t get picked up. That was before I even landed The View. When I left The View, I told everyone that would listen that I wanted my own talk show,’ she shared. ‘I came close in 2019, but the timing wasn’t right. 

The star worked with Hertz during her move which she said she loved: ‘I just had to move from L.A. to New York to host my new talk show SHERRI and I’m so grateful to Hertz for not only helping me get all of my stuff across country. 

‘But I’m extra excited because they had my face on the moving truck. You never really expect to see your face on a moving truck and I’ve got to say, it’s kind of a thrill.’

Sherri had fun working with Hertz. 

On Monday, Shepherd surprised customers at the Hertz location on 126 W 55th St, when she returned the Hertz Truck she rented to move her belongings east as she relocated to NYC for her new show.

While she was at Hertz, she surprised customers by giving them special Hertz rewards along with items that don’t fit in her new NYC home.    

She also said, ‘This is a part of Hertz’s Let’s Go campaign and it fits so perfectly with my life because I’m a huge believer in the idea of Let’s Go!—I tell everyone to run towards the thing that scares you, move in the direction of the things that challenge you. That’s what I’m doing with my new talk show.’ 

Shepherd can currently be seen in the HBO MAX series Sex Lives of College Girls; and recently co-starred in the Lifetime movie Imperfect High.

She co-starred in the Netflix hit comedy series Mr. Iglesias; and as a recurring guest star on ABC’s“Call Your Mother.