"The Talk" Just Lost Its Fourth Co-Host in a Year
It's been a tumultuous 12 months for the daytime talk show.
The View might be best known for its behind-the-scenes drama, but one of its rivals, The Talk, has dealt with its fair share of upheaval, especially recently. Late Friday, it was announced that one of the show's longtime cast members would be leaving, making her the fourth co-host to depart from The Talk since Sept. 2020. Read on to find out who's saying goodbye to The Talk now and to find out more about the series' revolving door of co-hosts.
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Carrie Ann Inaba announced she was leaving The Talk on Aug. 20.
Former Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba began her run on The Talk in 2017 as a guest host and officially joined the series in its ninth season in Jan. 2019, replacing original co-host and moderator Julie Chen.
She remained on The Talk for its tenth season and for most of Season 11, but in April, Inaba announced she was taking a leave of absence due to ongoing health issues, including long-term effects of COVID.
Then, four months later, on Aug. 20, Inaba said she was leaving for good. "I enjoyed my time at The Talk as co-host and moderator and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to grow with the entire Talk family as well as truly connect with viewers on such a personal level," Inaba said in a statement to Deadline. "I will miss The Talk, but I am excited for the next chapter both for myself and for the show."
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Inaba is the fourth co-host to leave The Talk in less than a year.
Departures have become commonplace on The Talk, especially over the past 11 months. Marie Osmond left the show in Sept. 2020, just one year after she was brought on to replace original co-host Sara Gilbert.
Then, Eve, who had been joining her co-hosts from London due to travel restrictions, announced in Nov. 2020 that she would be leaving The Talk in December. Due to the travel situation, an impending lockdown, and a desire to both spend more time with and possibly grow her family, Eve decided to leave The Talk after four seasons.
And then, of course, there was the controversial departure of Sharon Osbourne in Mar. 2021.
Easily the most controversial recent Talk departure was Sharon Osbourne's.
While Osmond and Eve left for non-controversial reasons, Osbourne was ostensibly forced off The Talk after weeks of making headlines due to a tense moment on stage that led to a behind-the-scenes investigation.
The situation began during a March episode when the panelists discussed Oprah Winfrey's interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, including British talk show host Piers Morgan's disparaging comments about Markle thereafter. The Good Morning Britain host, who has a history of making offensive remarks about the Duchess of Sussex, said he didn't believe her mental health struggles, with many believing his comments were racially motivated.
While discussing the situation on The Talk, Osbourne defended Morgan, a longtime friend of hers, saying that he had a right to his opinion. When fellow co-host Sheryl Underwood challenged Osbourne, pointing out that some considered Morgan's comments to be racist, the conversation took a turn and Osbourne thought Underwood was accusing her of racism.
In the days that followed, The Talk announced it was going on hiatus while the episode was put under an "internal review," CBS told E! Online. With the review under way, former The Talk co-hosts Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete both took to social media to say Osbourne had bullied and been discriminatory toward them and other cast members. Once CBS's review was complete, the network announced that Osbourne was stepping down from her position. A statement to E! News from the network read in part, "We concluded that Sharon's behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace."
RELATED: Leah Remini Says Sharon Osbourne Made The Talk a "Toxic Environment."
The show has gained three new co-hosts since the start of 2021, including one who made history.
With all of these co-hosts leaving the show, new faces have also joined The Talk table (which has since been removed as the co-hosts have been spread apart due to COVID protocols).
Three celebrities have joined since the start of this year: Elaine Welteroth and Amanda Kloots began their time on the show in January, replacing Osmond and Eve, and in July, Jerry O'Connell made history as The Talk's first full-time male co-host, replacing Osbourne. They join Underwood, who is currently the show's longest-running cast member, having joined in Season 2.
