Jennifer Hudson Reflects On Her Daytime Talk Show Continuing

Jennifer Hudson launched her daytime talk show, “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” in 2022 in syndication on stations across the U.S. Since then, she has hosted well over 500 episodes, featuring numerous high-profile guests. Now that the show has been renewed for its fifth season, the Oscar-winning singer and actress is reflecting on the show’s future and discussing who she’d like to see march down her iconic spirit tunnel.

Hudson interviewed with PEOPLE in March 2026 about her daytime talk show and its future. When asked if her tenure as a talk show host carries additional weight amid shows like “Sherri” being canceled and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” ending, she said, “I haven’t had much time to think about it, to be honest.”

She continued, “They are amazing, both Kelly and Sherri, and we’re all in this together. I just want to continue to make them proud and cheer them on, whatever they decide to do in the future.”

Regarding who she’d like to have on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” in the future, the “Spotlight” singer said, “I’ve been blessed to have a lot of great guests come to the show. I would love to see Barack Obama come through the Spirit Tunnel. I would love to see Denzel Washington and Halle Berry. I want to say Cher, but she’s already been to the show.”

Variety reported on February 19 that Fox Television Stations and Telepictures had renewed “The Jennifer Hudson Show” for its fifth season. The host released a statement, saying, “This show is about connecting with people in meaningful ways and sharing stories that lift and inspire. Our audience is the heartbeat of the show, and I can’t wait to take Season 5 to new heights.”

Lauren Blincoe, the Senior Vice President of Current Programming for Telepictures, also released a statement. She said, “We celebrate this milestone and look forward to creating even more moments that lift, inspire, and allow guests and audiences to ‘feel the love.'”

The same month, on February 2, Kelly Clarkson announced that she was ending her show after the fall of 2026 in order to spend more time with her family following the death of her ex-husband and father of her children, Brandon Blackstock. Per PEOPLE, she said in a statement, “I have been extremely fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of people at ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show,’ both in Los Angeles and New York.”

She continued, “There have been so many amazing moments and shows over these seven seasons. I am forever grateful and honored to have worked alongside the greatest band and crew you could hope for, all the talent and inspiring people who have shared their time and lives with us, all the fans who have supported our show, and to NBC for always being such a supportive and incredible partner.”

Also on February 2, Debmar Mercury announced that “Sherri,” hosted by Sherri Shepherd, had not been renewed for a fifth season. Per Deadline, she broke her silence on February 9 while hosting the show. Shepherd said, “This is a hard morning for all of us here at Sherri. Our show has not been renewed for another season.”

Still, she said she was “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love” and vowed to find a way to continue the show in some form. Like Clarkson, “Sherri” will air episodes until fall 2026.

The daytime talk show genre is among the most challenging for television hosting. Seemingly gone are the days when “The Oprah Winfrey Show” lasted 25 seasons or “The Wendy Williams Show” ran for 13 seasons. Luckily for Hudson, fans are still gravitating to her hosting style and her iconic spirit tunnel.

Per Variety, the show continues to grow in certain demographics regarding viewership. Notably, “The Jennifer Hudson Show” saw year-over-year growth among adults 25-54 and women in that age group. The outlet also notes that the series has become more popular on social media, with over 17.5 million followers, a 90% increase.