Sherri Shepherd, the woman who does it all: comedian, daytime talk show host, producer, actress, author, and overall, a genuine and well-loved celebrity. Sherri, the name of Shepherd’s daytime talk show, is full of fun guests, funny games, and prizes for her audience. I had the esteemed privilege of attending a show with Her Campus at Pace on Nov. 7, 2023 and was then invited back to play a game for Sherri Shepherd two days later. During my entire experience with her team, they showed me nothing but kindness and excitement for me to come in for the game segment.
I was approached by a producer of the show named Jonathan, who asked if I’d like to play a game with Sherri. He asked for all my information, including my email, phone number, my availability, and even took a photo of me. After setting up a date and time for me to come in, the studio was nice enough to give me VIP tickets to make my experience a little easier. VIP consists of a quicker check-in and security process, a more private section to wait in before the show, and closer seats to the stage and Shepherd. I arrived at 8:20 a.m. for the morning show, which started at 10:00 a.m. Sherri Shepherd and her studio are less strict than any other studio and talk show I’ve been to. She allowed us to have our phones on and out when we entered her studio, meaning we were able to take pictures and videos and make calls. It isn’t until Marco Glorious, the person who warms up the audience, came out that we were told to put them away.
Glorious’ job is to get the audience excited and ready for when Shepherd comes out to open the show. He cracked jokes, asked us questions, danced and sang with us, and overall made genuine and easy interactions to loosen up the audience. Another huge aspect of warming up the audience was the music. The music and audio references that were hyping people up were being played by the talented DJ Suss One, who also works with artists such as Mariah Carey. I was welcomed with open arms by everyone on the Sherri Show staff, as some of them even remembered me from the previous show with Her Campus at Pace.
About 20 minutes before the show would start filming, an AD came to pull me and the other contestant I’d be playing against from the crowd. I was then introduced to one of the many sound engineers, Jeff who mic’d me up. He was extremely nice and helped me test my mic so I could be ready for the stage when it was time to be brought up. Jonathan Aronoff, the producer who invited me back to the studio, was amazingly kind to me, always checking on me and making sure I was enthusiastic about being there. He told me prior to coming in what the game would be about over the phone. Quite honestly, I was a little scared when he told me the topic of the game I’d be playing on national TV would be reality television. I was so nervous that I called my mom, who is a big fan of reality television, and even searched up “What’s happening in the world of reality TV currently,” to help me prepare.
I was becoming more and more nervous as the segments and guests leading up to my game left the studio. I was also a little out of my element because it was my first time attending a talk show alone, specifically without the comfort of my friends. I wanted to be natural, but funny and excited, but not fangirling too hard. The only thing that was making me excited was my chance to win the surprise if I had won the game. Television isn’t as perfect as it seems, however, because after Jonathan debriefed both me and the other contestant again, we both realized he told us the answer to the question, “Who’s known as the Grand Dame of the Potomac?” The truth is the game wouldn’t have worked and would’ve been a lot more awkward if neither of us knew the answers. The question, although it may not seem that way, was a strategic method in promoting when it comes to television. Shepherd talks a lot about reality television and the people within the shows, and since the new season of The Real Housewives of Potomac had just recently come out, it was important that she talked about it to keep up with current events. Since Jonathan told us the answer, it was all up to who was the quickest. Shockingly enough, I happened to be the quickest to tell Shepherd the answer, which was “Karen.”
I was excited to see the prize and truly expected it to be some sort of gadget, because the last time I watched someone play a game on the Sherri Show, they won a keyboard. I was elated and surprised to see my prize was $250! However, when Shepherd was congratulating me for winning, she called me the other contestant, Crissy’s, name. I was confused, but I think I hid it well; I didn’t want people to be able to tell that I was worried for a second. I thought about correcting her, but decided against it, knowing how short the segment was and that she is a huge celebrity with bigger things to worry about. I said goodbye to her and the other contestant with a hug, before making my way back to my seat to finish watching the rest of the show. People were congratulating me and giving me high fives left and right, but I was worried if I’d even get the money due to Sherri announcing it to the wrong contestant. After the show, I was pulled aside by my Pace Orientation Leader-turned-intern at the Sherri Show, Alainna, and another AD, who helped me sign some forms to be able to receive the money, which was really a Visa gift card. I had to fill out things such as my address, my social security number, my email address, my phone number, my full name, the best ways to contact me, etc. It was all pretty average things to do, yet I was still nervous about the whole process.
Seeing Neil deGrasse Tyson, meeting Sherri Shepherd, and participating in a live game show on national TV was truly an experience I never dreamed of having. The Sherri Show is 100% a place where amazing things happen to people. The energy of the show is nothing I’ve ever experienced before, including how carefree it is. At the shows I’ve been to at NBC Studios, they are a lot more strict with the way you dress, what you say during tapings, and especially with phones. The Sherri Show truly just feels like a fun get-together with a big family. I felt so welcomed and wanted when I was asked to play the game with Sherri, and every security guard, AD, producer, sound engineer, and even Marco Glorious, the pre-show comedian, were extremely kind and interactive with me. There was nothing bad or scary about this experience in any way, shape, or form. I tried something new; going to a new part of town by myself for the first time, going to a talk show alone for the first time, and participating in a game on national television. If ever asked to participate in a game show, especially with Sherri Shepherd, snatch that opportunity, because if you don’t, you’ll be missing out on the most fun you’ll ever have.