Sherri Shepherd Talks Hosting Sherri vs. The View and "World is Flat" Moment
With her hit show Sherri, Sherri Shepherd has successfully embarked on a new chapter of her daytime career. Of course, she also filled in on The Wendy Williams Show, but prior to that, she memorably served as a co-host on The View. How does having her own show compare to The View? Shepherd shared her thoughts with The Daily Beast.
Shepherd reflected on her time at the table with the other View ladies versus hosting solo. The comedian said:
I’m not arguing with the co-hosts during the commercial break going, 'Can you just let me speak, can you not interrupt me?' Because we did have those moments. Or Joy [Behar] going, 'You stepped on my joke!' So just knowing that I’m not fighting anybody for air space, it’s different.
Sherri also doesn't cover all the same hot-button issues that The View does. Shepherd said:
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It’s also different because when I was on The View, I came on and didn’t really know about politics. Now I love talking politics, but this is a politics-free talk show. We don’t do that. It’s just me bringing a good time. I don’t have to find out what other people want at the table. It’s just me. Even when I went back to do the Barbara Walters tribute, I was trying to talk and I remember Lisa Ling grabbed my elbow like, 'Cut it, I need to say my thing.' And I was like, oh yeah, I’m back.
Shepherd also looked back on the moment on The View she was asked if she thought the world was flat. She made headlines after she replied that she didn't know and hadn't thought about it. That incident taught her a lot. Shepherd recalled:
Because it was during my first few weeks and being so nervous and not listening. That’s what I learned to do: listen. Because I honestly was so zoned out and I’ve got adult ADD. And I was so nervous because Barbara had already told us beforehand, she said, 'I want to debate my Christian friend on evolution.' And I don’t debate. So I was already so zoned out, nervous, and scared that I didn’t even hear them ask me, 'Do you believe the Earth is round or flat?' I literally was into, 'Did I pay the water bill? Who’s picking up my son from preschool?' I was so not present. And I did not know how big The View was. I did not know, internationally, how huge this show was until I got the backlash. And the next day I was in tears, and [Walters] came up to me and said, 'I hired you because I know you can do this.' And what I learned from that was to be present, make sure you’re up on your homework.
