If you were to make a list of the most powerful thought leaders, chances are that talk show hosts would appear somewhere on the list along with political and business leaders, proving how much clout they carry as representatives of the society and carriers of sociological trends. On Twitter, as on television, these are some of the most vocal people, whose opinion on everything from politics to art is taken very seriously. Think Oprah’s Book Club. 
We compiled a list of the top 10 television talk show hosts on Twitter. Please keep in mind that MMI rank is based not just on popularity, but also on Twitter activity, number of followers and other criteria.
MyMediaInfo’s list* of Top 10 Television Talk Show Hosts on Twitter
- @SherriEshepherd: Sherri Shepherd is an Emmy award-winning talk show host, comedienne and actress. She co-hosts The View along with other prominent women like Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg. She also wrote “Permission Slips: Every Woman’s Guide to Giving Herself a Break” and occasionally appears on the sitcom 30 Rock. Sherri’s twitter feed is full of her characteristic humor, views on health, society and entertainment, and updates on her various shows. Sherri’s twitter page has 5,364 tweets and 207,447 followers, and 5 stars with an MMI rank of 2,607.
- @WendyShow: Wendy Williams is the host of The Wendy Williams Show, a daytime talk show. Her Twitter feed is full interesting conversations with fans, updates about her shows and free ticket giveaways. Wendy is only the second African American woman to be inducted in the National Radio Hall of Fame, an honor she received in November 2009. Her Twitter page, with 3,651 updates and 255,163 followers, has 5 stars and an MMI rank of 4,127.
- @TheEllenShow: Ellen DeGeneres needs no introduction. The popular stand-up comedian, actress and beloved host of the daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has also served as a judge on one season of American Idol and has won many awards for her work. She also received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for lending her voice to Dory in Finding Nemo. Ellen brings humor, empathy, fun, and generosity to her millions of fans through her twitter feed. She has made 3,440 updates on Twitter and has a massive following of 5,532,632! With an MMI rank of 4,315, her twitter feed has 5 stars.
- @jimmyfallon: Jimmy Fallon, the host of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, has acted in numerous movies, hosted award shows, and was a feature player on Saturday Night Live. His late night talk show success started in 2009. Apart from updates on his show, his Twitter feed is filled with humorous insights into the entertainment industry, clever use of hashtags, and witty banter. With 2,957 updates and 2,994,098 followers, Jimmy Fallon’s twitter feed has 5 stars and an MMI rank of 4,860.
- @ MarthaStewart: There are very few cooking enthusiasts on the planet who have not borrowed from Martha Stewart‘s food wisdom at some point or the other! This self-proclaimed “experimental entrepreneur” takes food very seriously and has written many cookbooks that foodies all over swear by. She hosts The Martha Stewart Show, a discussion of food, home, entertainment, and more. Her twitter feed, with 1,981 tweets and 2,053,576 followers, gives valuable kitchen tips, links to much-sought-after recipes and cookbook giveaways. Martha’s Twitter page has an MMI rank of 6,263 with 4 stars.
- @ kingsthings: Larry King is the enigmatic host of Larry King Live, a television talk show on CNN. The list of prominent people he has interviewed is endless, as is the admiration for his astute interviews. He also finds time to host his own radio show. Larry King’s Twitter feed talks about the guests on his show, political issues, and world events, among other things. His 1,629 to date are followed by 1,737,587 people, and his twitter feed has an MMI rank of 6,840 with 4 stars.
- @ jayleno: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is one of the most popular late night talk shows on television. With Jay Leno hosting, there is never a dull moment! He interviews celebrities, delivers monologues on current events that have had the audience rolling in the aisles and brings many more unforgettable moments to late night television. His twitter feed reflects his show and his personality. With 1,595 tweets and 104,245 followers, Jay Leno’s twitter feed has an MMI rank of 7,059 and 4 stars.
- @ DrPhil: Dr.Phil, made so famous by Oprah that he does not need to use his last name, is a self-proclaimed expert in psychology and is known for encouraging people to ‘get real’. His syndicated talk show and his blog Turning Point bring these thoughts and advice to millions of people. His twitter feed, with 1,491 tweets and 681,604 followers, has a rank of 7,400 on MMI and 4 stars.
- @ tyrabanks: Tyra Banks is a supermodel, media personality, actress, singer, and businesswoman. What she is most known for, though, is hosting The Tyra Banks Show and America’s Next Top Model. She also has her own website, Tyra.com. Her twitter feed gives updates about her many shows, entertainment, celebrities, and her work for GBLT communities and other social work. With 1,327 tweets and 2,276,650 followers, Tyra Banks’ twitter feed has an MMI rank of 7,412 with 4 stars.
- @ JoyVbehar: Joy Behar is co-host of the hugely popular The View and is also a leading comic talent. She has starred in her own cable series and acted in many movies. Joy also serves as a frequent substitute to Larry King on Larry King Live. In addition to these roles, she also hosts The Joy Behar Show. She has 960 tweets and is followed by 296,560 people. Her twitter feed’s MMI rank is 8,234 with 4 stars.
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* All number of tweets and followers are based on facts collected while the article was written.
**To recreate this list: If you are a customer of MyMediaInfo, and have access to the social media module of the database, then you can recreate this list using some easy steps.
- Click on the Social Media Module. On this page, under the ‘Twitter’ column, click on ‘Topic tags’.
- Now enter the keyword “talk show”, and you will get the entire list of tags related with ‘talk show’.
- Now select the tag ‘talk show host’ and click ‘Go’. You will receive a list of talk show hosts of all categories.
- Now, double click on the column called “MMI Score”, and the list will rearrange in ascending order. Remember, the smaller the MMI score number, the more influential the Twitter handle.
