Wendy Williams is looking to start anew after filing to divorce her estranged husband Kevin Hunter. To do that, she’s filling his newly vacated manager role with a famed TV producer.
Williams has tapped Bernie Young to be her manager, according to a Wednesday, April 24, report from Page Six.
Below are five things to know about Young.
Not Serving as Executive Producer
Young is taking over as Williams’ manager, a role that Hunter filled for years despite not having any experience in the capacity, People magazine reported. But that doesn’t mean Young will also take the reins as executive producer of “The Wendy Williams Show, ” a spokesperson confirmed to Page Six. Hunter, who is rumored to have had a decade-long affair, was removed as EP last week and on Friday’s episode, his name was not listed in the credits. Williams is now the sole EP for the talk show.
Behind Rosie O’Donnell’s Long-Running Talk Show
After taking on comedian Rosie O’Donnell as a client when she was 19 years old, Young worked with her for over 20 years and helped her launch her hit talk show “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” The program ran from 1996 to 2002, and Young served as executive producer on it for the last three years of it’s run, according to his LinkedIn page.
More Success Came With Martha Stewart
In addition to O’Donnell, Stewart also served as co-executive producer of Martha Stewart’s syndicated talk show “Martha,” which aired from 2005 to 2012. Young’s LinkedIn account notes he also secured three years as head of the broadcasting division at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. In that role he oversaw the development and production of such TV series as “Martha Bakes” and “Emeril’s Table” as well as one-hour specials, including “Martha Presents: Women With Vision” and “Grilling Secrets of the Master Chefs.”
Award-Winning Past
While Young won’t be producing for Williams, his past work in the area has earned him some honors. His LinkedIn page states he’s won seven Emmy Awards, which includes five statues for “Outstanding Talk Show” with “Rosie” from 1998 to 2002. He also earned two Emmys for “Outstanding Lifestyle Program” for “Martha” in the early 2010s.
Law Enforcement on His Résumé
Before his foray into television, Young was on the force with the New York Police Department, his LinkedIn page shows. His bio admits that the job “has made him exasperatingly critical of police shows” but “he is a big fan of the program ‘Blue Bloods’,” which has aired on CBS since 2010.
