Ricki Lake to Host New Talk Show in Fall 2012

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Twentieth Television has announced a development deal with Ricki Lake for a daytime talk show pegged for a possible fall 2012 launch. The hourlong show, which would be filmed in Los Angles, will cover topics such as marriage, divorce, parenting and weight loss.

"Ricki is a pop culture icon who has built a career on her candid, straight talk sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature," said Stephen Brown, senior vice president of programming and development at Twentieth TV. "With an enormous fan base, that represents all ages and ethnicities, we are thrilled to develop a daytime talk show emphasizing Ricki's fresh and enhanced perspective."

The announcement, first reported by Broadcasting & Cable, comes seven years after Lake drew the curtain on her previous talk show, produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television from 1993 to 2004. A fall launch would put her in competition for airtime with Katie Couric's likely talk show. In the years since, Lake has produced The Business of Being Born, a documentary about home births and appeared on such shows as CBS' Gameshow Marathon and VH1's Charm School.

"It has been very fulfilling for the past seven years to focus my energy on advocacy work on behalf families and children," said Lake in a statement. "Now, I am excited to return to my roots and work with Twentieth Television to develop a talk show that will give me an opportunity to share my experiences and reconnect with audiences."