Yahoo Finance The Wendy Williams Show Confirms Return for Season 13 amid Host's Health Struggles
Wendy Williams is almost back!
On Tuesday, The Wendy Williams Show confirmed on Instagram that the talk show will be returning for season 13 on October 4, promising "all new hot topics."
"THE WAIT IS OVER! Season 13 starts MONDAY," the show captioned a short trailer for the upcoming season. "You don't wanna miss it!"
The show's season 13 premiere was previously delayed from Sept. 20 after Williams tested positive for COVID-19 amid other ongoing health issues.
"While continuing her health evaluations, Wendy has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19," a Sept. 15 statement posted on Instagram said.
Santiago Felipe/Getty Wendy Williams
RELATED: Wendy Williams Tests Positive for Breakthrough COVID amid Ongoing 'Health Evaluations'
"To allow Wendy time to quarantine and fully recover and to ensure that our production abides by all SAG/AFTRA and DGA Covid protocols, we expect to begin the 13th season of The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, October 4th," the statement continued. "In the meantime, repeats will be scheduled."
Breakthrough cases — COVID-19 infections that occur in people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus — are rare, but possible and expected, as the vaccines are not 100 percent effective in preventing infections. Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. The majority of deaths from COVID-19 — around 98 to 99 percent — are in unvaccinated people.
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In another statement posted to the Instagram page a week prior, Williams' team announced that she was canceling her upcoming public appearances due to "ongoing health issues."
"Wendy is dealing with some ongoing health issues and is undergoing further evaluations," the statement read. "She will not be able to complete her promotional activities next week, but can't wait to be back in her purple chair Monday, September 20th for the 13th season premiere."
Manny Carabel/Getty
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Last May, the 57-year-old TV personality took time off from her talk show due to health concerns surrounding her Graves' disease. A spokesperson for The Wendy Williams Show told PEOPLE at the time that the star had been "dealing with symptoms from her Graves' disease, which is causing fatigue."
In 2018, she opened up to PEOPLE about the immune system disorder, explaining that she was diagnosed with Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism 19 years prior.
"I feel a hundred percent better than I was a few months ago. I had a storm going in my body is the best way I can explain it," said Williams at the time.
"It came from me neglecting my six-month endocrinology appointment. I have Graves' disease and hyperthyroid. If you have one you don't necessarily have to have the other, but I have both, and I was diagnosed with both 19 years ago," she added.
