Why Barbara Walters Taught Sherri Shepherd to Lower Her Voice: 'Now I Can't Stop Talking Like a Man' (Exclusive)
“She taught me how to be a tough broad, she taught me how to believe in myself, she taught me how to be curious,” Shepherd said of Walters and their time on 'The View'
Working alongside Barbara Walters on The View was a dream come true for Sherri Shepherd.
In PEOPLE's exclusive look at Busy Philipps’ late-night show Busy This Week on QVC+, Shepherd, 57, opens up about how she felt sitting next to the "formidable" Walters — who died at age 92 in 2022 — at the talk show’s roundtable. Shepherd joined the long-running ABC program alongside Whoopi Goldberg in 2007 to replace Rosie O’Donnell.
“I cried every day,” Shepherd told Philipps, 44. “You know when you go to overnight camp and you call your parents, you’re like, ‘I want to come home?’ I called all my friends, I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I want to go back home.’”
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(L-R) Barbara Walters and Sherri ShepherdDespite the initial difficulty finding her footing on The View, the former Dish Nation host, who is also part of QVC’S Q50 program, said the experience taught her “to be tough.” She attributed part of her success to the late Walters, who became a mentor figure during her time on the show.
“Barbara helped me find my voice. She taught me how to be a tough broad, she taught me how to believe in myself, she taught me how to be curious,” Shepherd detailed.
The Emmy winner even credited the tone of her voice to the legendary journalist, stating she “sounds like a man” because Walters advised her to lower her voice to appear more confident. It’s a piece of wisdom she passes on to others at her self-titled daytime talk show.
“People perceive more confidence when your voice is lower," she explained, before quipping, "Now I can’t stop talking like a man, which is why I’m single!"
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(L-R) Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters on 'The View' on Dec. 20, 2013Although Shepherd parted ways with The View in 2014, she has joined the panel as a guest several times, including a January 2023 appearance in remembrance of Walters after her death. During her tribute, she recounted the time she defended Walters while interviewing conservative pundit Ann Coulter.
"I didn't like the way she was talking to Barbara, like, you don't talk to Barbara like that, I will whoop your, you know... I'm not playing with you. I remember feeling so protective of this woman who was so protective all the time of me, who would ferociously defend me no matter what gaffes I made at the table," the 30 Rock star recalled.
Since 2022, the comedian has hosted her own syndicated daytime television series, which was quickly renewed through 2025 a few months after its premiere.
"I am so thrilled that Sherri has been renewed for two more years," Shepherd said in a statement after the greenlight. "I launched this show with the mission to give daytime viewers a 'good time,' just like my theme song says."
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Busy This Week airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on QVC+.
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