The 'Sherri' host opened up to ET about getting some guidance from TV greats.
Sherri Shepherd is looking back at the influential women and mentors who have guided her along the path to hosting her own show.
ET's Rachel Smith joined Shepherd at the studio for her new talk show, Sherri, and the outspoken host excitedly showed off her four themed greenrooms, each dedicated and modeled in homage to some of the women who have influenced her most -- including Marsha Warfield, Lucille Ball, Joan Rivers and her former co-host on The View, Whoopi Goldberg.
"Whoopi Goldberg has just always been amazing to me," Shepherd shared. "When I met her, she just became like my protector. She gave me so much great advice about how to be in Hollywood."
"Whoopi was also this person who wasn't just one thing, she also was a game show host, she led The View, she was an actress, and she could do comedy," Shepherd reflected. "She was one of the reasons I got into game show hosting because she said, 'Do it. Go and do it!' So I call her all the time for advice."
While touring her green room themed around the late Rivers, Shepherd marveled at the legendary comic and TV host's incredible work ethic and attitude.
"Joan always had her calendar and she would look at her calendar and if she had an opening on her calendar, she felt it was a failure," Shepherd recalled. "Joan said to me, when I left The View, I said, 'Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?' And she said, 'You're going to work... funny girls always work.' That is what she said, and I’ve never stopped working."
"So I always remember what Joan Rivers told me and I just wanted to pay homage to her," Shepherd explained. "She truly was the queen."
As for advice, the host recalled one specific note that she's taken to heart that she got from legendary TV personality Barbara Walters.
"Barbara knew that women, young women, we go through this thing where we want to be liked, so our voices tend to be high," Shepherd explained. "And she said, 'Lower your voice because it shows confidence so when you talk, talk slowly.' ... So I always tell my interns to lower your voice, and so now I sound like a man! I can't even make it high if I wanted to."
Sherri debuted last month, and the excited host says she's connected with the job instantly.
"This is the first time in my career that I've never felt nervous, because I know I am supposed to be doing this," she shared. "I love meeting so many wonderful people. I love it when they come on the couch and I’m so curious about everybody, so actually getting to sit there and listen, and it’s a one-on-one conversation between us. So every day I’m having fun."
Sherri airs weekdays on Fox. Chere here for local listings.
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