“Holy sh-t,” a stunned John Oliver said during the Apr. 19 episode of Last Week Tonight after sharing a clip of Wendy Williams, 55, hosting her show from home. After watching her drink “Orangina” from a champagne glass and take a bite out of a piece of meat, John couldn’t believe what he just saw. “She’s sharing a screen with a life-sized Betty Boop decked out in Supreme gear, Chanel accessories and a disco ball, and somehow, [Wendy’s] still the most engrossing thing in that shot, eating a lamb chop in a weirdly dominant manner. Not many people can pull that off.”
“The more you watch Wendy, the more you that realize that chaos isn’t a problem with the show, it’s what makes it work,” said John, 42. “Wendy has ascended to a level of ‘f-cks not give’ that no human has ever achieved before.” Wendy, according to John Oliver, is dealing with the crisis in such an honest manner. Amid all the COVID-19 pandemic conspiracy theories (the main subject of Sunday’s episode) and Donald Trump-shaped grifting, John said these Wendy @ Home shows are “an oasis of truth in a world full of lies.” He also appreciated how Wendy decides to snack — eating things like caviar, Doritos, bacon, pickles — when it’s time to host her show, demonstrating that lack of “f-cks.”
For bringing some joy in his life, John wanted to find a way to repay her. But how? He was stumped, until Wendy “once again, in my time of need, …provided the answer.” The “answer” came after Wendy played a clip of Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Shekinah Jo Anderson defending Bill Cosby. Last Week Night played Wendy’s response, in which she said, “Bill Cosby needs to stay in jail for all his years. I don’t know what these girls are talking about, but I was too distracted by Tiny’s onesie. Norman [Baker, the Wendy Williams Show producer], I need that in my life. … I need that onesie in my life!” John noted that finding leisurewear was impossible at the moment – “because of, you know, everything –” but John would not be deterred. His research and production team, who has helped Last Week Tonight pull off all their stunts, worked together and “tracked that f-cking thing down.” John offered the “onesie” (technically, it is a two-piece set, but at this point, why split hairs?) and offered it to Wendy.
john oliver did a segment this week on wendy williams doing her show from home while eating doritos and caviar and that was really a special gift just for me
— sarah gorman🍉 (@thesarahgorman) April 20, 2020
John Oliver is right, Wendy Williams HAS ascended to a level of no fucks given that we can only dream of.
— Brittani Burnham (@ramblingfilm) April 20, 2020
“So, here you go, Wendy. This sweatsuit is for you. Just tell us where to send it and wear it in good health. And, please, don’t you ever stop eating on camera.” John closed out the show the only way he knew how – by eating half a New York sub while the camera rolled.
John’s appreciation of Wendy comes three years after he, as GQ put it, got “DESTROYED by dudes who don’t care who” he was. During an episode of Billy on the Street!, Billy Eichner took John around the streets of New York City, and approached gay men to ask them a question, “Do you care about John Oliver?” The answer was often “no,” but when Billy asked one they cared about Wendy Williams, the response was a resounding “Of course, I do.”