Interview: Jennifer Hudson Reveals How She Will Honor Broadway Through Her New Talk Show

EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson is gearing up to light up daytime with her new talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show!

Premiering on her 41st birthday, September 12, the show will be a one-hour nationally syndicated talk show hosted by Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony winner Jennifer Hudson, the youngest woman in history to achieve the coveted EGOT status.

The Jennifer Hudson Show will feature celebrity interviews, topical stories, community heroes, viral sensations, and music. Hudson will use her powerful voice in a new way, bringing fun, uplifting, and empowering conversations to the forefront, shining a light on extraordinary stories, talents, and passions.

The first week of episodes will include appearances by Simon Cowell, Hannah Waddingham, Viola Davis, and more. Check out the full lineup here.

Ahead of the premiere, BroadwayWorld spoke with the recent EGOT winner to discuss how Broadway will be featured in the new talk show, her dream guests, what will set her talk show apart from others, and more.

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We've seen a lot of daytime talk shows celebrating Broadway and musical theatre. Since you have a great history with musical theatre, how do you plan to highlight that through your new talk show?

I want to see theater be able to have a bigger and bigger and bigger platform. You all know I'm an advocate for that. So, that's a huge reason why I wanted a show to be able to put the spotlight on so many other deserving things. And of course, Broadway is number one on my list and obviously a huge part of my roots. So, I want to be able to celebrate that.

I actually just made a long Broadway melody to play tribute to Broadway in song. So, I might even do that on the show and then have some of you all come out and sing it with me.

You recently were crowned with an EGOT. Since each of these awards highlight different strengths that you have, how do you plan to showcase these talents throughout the new show?

Wow. Well, they're all just naturally within me, so I want it to just be. When it comes, like sometimes, I'm singing and don't even realize it. If I'm sitting there simply being myself, it will show up. All the different hairstyles, that's a character, honey. So, I'm just in character. You may turn on and be like, who is she today? I feel that is what has helped me through my artistry is wearing my heart on my sleeve and expressing myself and as long as I do that, all of those elements will be displayed and you will see them in every way.

How will audiences see a different side of Jennifer Hudson through this new show?

You will get to see Jennifer, the person, not the actress playing someone or the singer singing a song, but the person, and that is the thing I'm most excited about. Or even the persona of whatever image you're like "this is who Jennifer Hudson is". And it's like, mmm, meet me. Get to know the person. When you leave the show, I want you to be like, "that's just Jennifer". "Oh, that's JHud".

I'm your girl, come sit on the couch, come see me. I'm glad I got a place for you to come to, but you could come to my actual house too. I love that. I finally get to be simply just me, Jennifer.

What will set the Jennifer Hudson Show aside from other daytime talk shows?

You know what I feel, is all I can do is be me. Be Jennifer and from my perspective, that is what will help make it different. Again, I want a more natural, organic feel and I want to be able to implement all my other, facets such as characters. You don't know who you are going to get. I may have a bob one day and the next day, like what girl is she today? It depends on how I feel. That's based off of emotions.

If I'm performing, I have it set, but once I get in the room, your energy may send me somewhere else. So you may become a part of the show. You know I want to hear from you. Girl, why are you wearing that outfit? What did it take for you to get here? I want to hear from everybody. I want to make everybody a part of the space. So in order to say what it's going to be, I need you in the room.

Who is your dream guest for the Jennifer Hudson Show?

Oh, I'm a dreamer. So that's a big answer right there. I'm blessed to just meet so many people and be inspired by so many things. It varies and it changes continuously, or it grows continuously. I'm inspired by talent. It may be some kid I see like, oh, why don't you come do this on, on my show?

And I'm happy to be able to have a platform to give them a platform. Because I love to give other people, the spotlight. So, I'm grateful to have a platform to do that. But then when I think of celebrities - which one do you want me to ask for? Do you want me to go film or do you want me to go music or sports, I'm into all of those things.

I love old school things. I was sitting with Smokey Robinson doing Respect and we were talking about Aretha and but then he started talking and I was like hold on, here's another legend. And I came right here (moves forward), I want to hear everything from (Smokey). I want to sit with Megan, I want to see Cardi B. I want to see Drake. All of these things are pieces of me, Nicole Kitman. It's so broad. I definitely want to see Simon Cowell because we got a lot to talk about. It goes on and on and on. Then I listen to people like, Hey, who do you want to hear me talk to? And I'll respond to that as well.

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Watch a promo for The Jennifer Hudson Show here:

Photo Credit: Brian Bowen Smith / 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.