Our pick for the sexiest female talk show host in 2026 is Kelly Clarkson, followed by Jennifer Hudson and Drew Barrymore. This is an opinion list of 10 women who have hosted talk shows, ranked on screen presence, charisma and staying power, and refreshed with what each is doing now. A show that ended is mentioned as a fact, not a verdict.
| Rank | Host | Known for | Status (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kelly Clarkson | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Show ended 31 Aug 2026; hosts Songs & Stories |
| 2 | Jennifer Hudson | The Jennifer Hudson Show | On air since 2022 |
| 3 | Drew Barrymore | The Drew Barrymore Show | On air since 2020 |
| 4 | Kelly Ripa | Live with Kelly and Mark | Co-host since 2001 |
| 5 | Tamron Hall | Tamron Hall | On air since 2019 |
| 6 | Tyra Banks | The Tyra Banks Show | Netflix ANTM documentary, Feb 2026 |
| 7 | Aisha Tyler | The Talk | Hosts Whose Line Is It Anyway? |
| 8 | Charissa Thompson | Fox Sports Live | Fox Sports and Prime Video |
| 9 | Chelsea Handler | Chelsea Lately | Author and stand-up comedian |
| 10 | Ricki Lake | Ricki Lake | Daytime Emmy winner |
What changed since our first version: the 2010s line-up has largely moved on, and a new set of daytime hosts, mostly singers and actors, has taken over. We dropped entries whose shows or careers have ended or changed beyond what a talk-show list covers, and we added the hosts who lead the genre today.
1. Kelly Clarkson: The Kelly Clarkson Show
Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol and turned that into a decades-long music and television career. Her daytime show ran for seven seasons from September 2019 until its final episode on 31 August 2026, after 1,260 episodes. She announced the end in February 2026, saying she wanted more time with her family.
She is far from finished: she returned to The Voice in February 2026, started hosting Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson in August 2025, and launched her own record label in 2025.
2. Jennifer Hudson: The Jennifer Hudson Show
Jennifer Hudson won the Oscar for Dreamgirls, then became the youngest woman and third African-American to complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) in 2022. Her syndicated talk show launched on 12 September 2022 and has gone viral for its Spirit Tunnel pre-show segment.
She released the album The Gift of Love in October 2024 and toured the United States with it.
3. Drew Barrymore: The Drew Barrymore Show
Drew Barrymore has been in front of cameras since childhood, and she hosted Saturday Night Live at seven, a record that still stands in 2026. Her daytime show debuted on 14 September 2020 and as of October 2025 was the second most-viewed syndicated talk show in the United States.
She is also a co-executive producer and center square on the CBS revival of Hollywood Squares, which premiered in January 2025.
4. Kelly Ripa: Live with Kelly and Mark
Kelly Ripa has co-hosted the syndicated morning show since 2001, first with Regis Philbin, later with Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest, and now with her husband Mark Consuelos. She and Consuelos won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host in 2024, her seventh Daytime Emmy.
Ripa and Consuelos also own a New York production company, Milojo.
5. Tamron Hall: Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall spent years as a national news correspondent and anchor before launching her own daytime show in September 2019. It has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards and was renewed in February 2025 for a seventh season.
She also hosts Deadline: Crime on Investigation Discovery.
6. Tyra Banks: The Tyra Banks Show
Tyra Banks was a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005, and the first African American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She then created America’s Next Top Model and hosted The Tyra Banks Show, which won a Daytime Emmy in 2008.
Her recent work includes the Hollywood Squares revival in 2025 and the Netflix documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, released in February 2026.
7. Aisha Tyler: The Talk
Aisha Tyler co-hosted seasons two through seven of The Talk, and won a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host. She has hosted Whose Line Is It Anyway? since 2013, voiced Lana Kane in Archer, and played Dr. Tara Lewis in Criminal Minds.
She is also known to gamers for hosting Ubisoft’s E3 press conferences.
8. Charissa Thompson: Fox Sports Live
Charissa Thompson is a sportscaster who worked at ESPN, co-hosting SportsNation, before moving to Fox Sports in 2013 to host Fox Sports Live. She also co-hosted the entertainment show Extra from 2014 to 2017.
Today she works for Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
9. Chelsea Handler: Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Handler hosted the late-night show Chelsea Lately on E! from 2007 to 2014, then moved to Netflix with the documentary series Chelsea Does in 2016 and the talk show Chelsea from 2016 to 2017. Time put her on its 100 most influential list in 2012.
She remains active as a stand-up comedian and author; her book I’ll Have What She’s Having was published in 2025.
10. Ricki Lake: Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake was 24 when her syndicated show Ricki Lake debuted in 1993, and she was credited as the youngest person to host a syndicated talk show at the time. It ran until 2004. She came back with The Ricki Lake Show in late 2012, which was cancelled after one season in 2013 but still won her a Daytime Emmy.
Before talk TV she starred as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray.
Who is your pick, and whose show do you watch? Tell us in the comments.
FAQ
Who is the sexiest female talk show host in 2026?
In our opinion, Kelly Clarkson, followed by Jennifer Hudson and Drew Barrymore. It is our own ranking based on screen presence and career, not a poll.
Which of these talk shows have ended?
The Kelly Clarkson Show aired its final episode on 31 August 2026 after seven seasons. The Tyra Banks Show, Chelsea Lately and the original Ricki Lake show ended years ago.
Which female-hosted talk shows are on air now?
The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, Tamron Hall and Live with Kelly and Mark are all still on air.
Who changed on this list from the old version?
We dropped Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Wendy Williams, Jenny McCarthy and Sara Varone, and added Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Drew Barrymore and Tamron Hall.
How did you rank them?
We ranked on screen presence, charisma and staying power as hosts, then checked each person’s current status. It is an opinion list.
Last updated: October 2026.
