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Home • News

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts

Black Women Talk Show Hosts
By Essence · Updated October 29, 2020
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01
Farewell, Oprah

Oprah Winfrey’s show will undoubtedly go down as one of the most beloved talk shows in history. Her 25-year reign as America’s queen of talk will forever be admired. Thanks for keeping us inspired, Oprah!

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
02
Wendy Williams

Williams’ eponymous talk show always has tongues wagging with her in-your-face style. How You Doin?

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
03
Whoopi Goldberg

This Oscar winner hosted her own self-named syndicated show between 1992 and 1993, before joining the roundtable of “The View” in 2007.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
04
Soledad O’Brien

Before becoming the host of CNN’s “Black in America”series O’Brien co-anchored NBC’s “Weekend Today” and CNN’s “American Morning.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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05
Robin Roberts

In 2007, the breast cancer survivor took a hiatus then returned to her anchor desk to host “Good Morning America,” where she has been since 1995.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
06
Tyra Banks

She’s done it all from walking on the runway to hosting “America’s Next Top Model.” The media mogul has expanded her empire with the now-defunct Emmy-winning “Tyra Banks Show.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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07
Mo’Nique

Known for bringing the funny on the stage and big and small screens, Mo’Nique hosted her own late-night show on BET, which ran from 2009 (the same year Mo’Nique was nominated for an Oscar – which she won in 2010) to summer 2011.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
08
Sherri Shepherd

The comedian and actress made it to the hot topics table alongside Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” in 2007.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
09
Rolonda Watts

From 1994 to 1997, this award-winning journalist host kept housewives entertained with “Rolonda.” Now she’s president of her own production company, Watts Works Productions.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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10
Arthel Neville

Neville was the fresh face of CNN’s “Talk Back Live” in 2002, dubbed the first interactive TV show. She can currently be seen on the Fox New Channel’s “Fox & Friends” and contributes to “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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11
Star Jones

The TV personality made headlines when she left “The View” in 2006 after nearly two years. Later, Jones became an executive editor of truTV’s daytime programming before branching off to write a novel and star in “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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12
Iyanla Vanzant

The New York Times best-selling author and inspirational speaker offered uplifting advice to women during her show “Iyanla,” which ended in 2002.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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13
Della Reese

In 1970, the singer-actress became the first African American woman to guest host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

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14
Sheryl Underwood

The funny woman hosted BET’s “Comic View” and the short-lived comedic TV series “Holla.” She also briefly hosted “Sheryl Underwood and Company” on the radio.

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15
Kimora Lee Simmons

Before letting fans inside her over-the-top life on “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,” the former model was a cohost on the defunct “The View”-like chat fest “Life & Style.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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16
Cynthia Garrett

Garrett began her on-camera career at VH1. She once hosted her own late-night talk show on NBC, “Later with Cynthia Garrett.”

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17
Alison Stewart

The radio and TV host started off as a MTV news segment producer and took her career to the next level in the news departments of CBS and ABC. She currently co-hosts the news magazine “Need to Know” on PBS.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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18
Tempestt Bledsoe

Her face is most remembered as Vanessa on “The Cosby Show,” but she once hosted her own show, “The Tempestt Bledsoe Show,” back in 1995. She currently hosts “Clean House” on the Style Network.

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19
Queen Latifah

The queen, who has mastered many things including music and acting, once hosted her short-lived “The Queen Latifah Show.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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20
Ananda Lewis

The former VJ was once the face for BET’s “Teen Summit” before moving on to MTV’s “The Hot Zone,” in which she announced top music videos and interviewed celebs. That success landed Lewis her own short-lived daytime talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show,” in 2001.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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21
Cathy Hughes

Radio One’s founder launched TV One in 2004. For the channel, she hosts “TV One on One,” in which she sits down with Black newsmakers and entertainers.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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22
Kim Coles

The former “Living Single” star once joined her former co-star Queen Latifah on the daytime TV bandwagon as a guest-host on “The View.” She’s also lent her hosting talents to syndicated talk show “In the Loop.”

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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23
Robin Quivers

Most notable as a longtime co-host on “The Howard Stern Show,” Quivers is currently in the works of developing her own show for Sirius radio about women’s issues.

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24
Robin Givens

In 2000, Givens took over Mother Love’s successful TV Show “Forgive or Forget” before it stopped production shortly after.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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25
Mic Check

Oprah Winfrey’s show will undoubtedly go down as one of the most beloved talk shows in history. Her 25-year reign as America’s queen of talk will forever be admired. Thanks for keeping us inspired, Oprah!

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
26
Robin Roberts

In 2007, the breast cancer survivor took a hiatus then returned to her anchor desk to host “Good Morning America,” where she has been since 1995.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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27
Hoda Kotb

The breast cancer survivor became the co-host of the fourth hour of the “Today” show in 2007. She’s been a “Dateline NBC” correspondent since 1998 and the host of weekly show “Your Total Health” since 1994.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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28
Mo’Nique

Know for bringing the funny on the stage and big and small screens, Mo’Nique currently hosts her own late-night show on BET.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
29
Whoopi Goldberg

Before joining the roundtable of “The View,” this Oscar winner hosted her own self-named syndicated show between 1992 and 1993.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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30
Sherri Shepherd

The comedian and actress made it to the hot topics table alongside Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” in 2007.

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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31
Mic Check

Winfrey may be the most successful Black woman (or any person) to host a talk show, but she isn’t the first sister to take on the mic. See which ladies have given TV chat a try.

By Shavon Greene

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
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32
Wendy Williams

Williams’ eponymous talk show always has tongues wagging with her in-your-face style. How You Doin?

Our Favorite Black Female Talk-Show Hosts
Getty Image