Photo: Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Jerry O’Connellis joiningThe Talkas a co-host, replacingSharon Osbourneafter she left the show earlier this year amid controversy.
The news was announced at the top of Wednesday’s episode, with O’Connell entering the studio to “Eye of the Tiger” dressed up as Rocky Balboa from theRockymovie series.
“It’s really exciting,” he told his new co-hosts after the cinematic entrance. “First of all I want to say, you ladies have been so welcoming to me, I mean, I came here as a guest, months ago, and just from the moment I walked in, you’re just gracious, you’re kind, you’re fun, and it worked. And here we are and we’re gonna have a lot of fun, we really are.”
The actor has frequently appeared as a guest host onThe Talkover the years — serving in that role all week. He will be the daytime show’s first full-time male co-host, joining current hostsSheryl Underwood,Amanda KlootsandElaine Welteroth. Their fourth panelist,Carrie Ann Inaba, is currently on aleave of absencefrom the series as she navigates varioushealth issues.
Jerry O’Connell on The Talk in May.Ron P. Jaffe/CBS
“Jerry, I told you that the last time you were here, I just love having you on set every day. You bring such an amazing energy to this studio, and also like I learn from you every day,” Welteroth, 34, said on the show Wednesday. “You’re an incredible host and and we are so lucky to have you here.”
“You guys are amazing,” O’Connell replied. “There’s also a lot of people behind the cameras here, who really helped out a lot — our whole crew, everybody, the producers. It’s a really special feeling around here.”
“And you add to that!” Underwood said. “You make everybody smile, you know names, you say good morning to everybody … We talk, we laugh, we joke.”
“But I’m gonna tell you something — it’s really a twofer, we get you and we get Rebecca,” she continued, referencing O’Connell’s wife Rebecca Romjin, with whom he celebrated 14 years of marriage on Wednesday.
Later in the show, a montage introducing O’Connell toThe Talkviewers played, which the actor said was “very touching.”
“It’s an exciting time, it’s something new,” he said of his co-host role. “I don’t want to say it’s scary but it’s new, so it’s a change. And change is good, you have to do things that scare you, that shake it up a little bit and this is definitely shaking it up, but that was very touching guys thank you so much.”
“I’m excited to part of the family,” O’Connell said at the close of the episode, before Underwood shared that he will be taking the next few weeks off for another project before returning in his permanent co-hosting spot for season 12.
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CBSannounced Osbourne’s departurefrom the talk show on March 26. Her exit came afterthe series extended its hiatusfor a second time, PEOPLE confirmed, as the network continued to look into Osbourne’s behavior on the March 10 episode.
During the broadcast, Osbourne, 68, defended friendPiers Morganfollowing the backlash for hiscontroversial remarksquestioning the validity ofMeghan Markle’s revelationsabout her mental healthduring herinterview with Oprah Winfrey.
Two days after the broadcast, Osbourneapologizedfor her “panicked” remarks. Two weeks after, CBS revealed that she would beexitingThe Talkand later said it would return without her on April 12.
Sheryl Underwood and Sharon Osbourne.Christopher Willard/Freeform via Getty; Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty
In a statement about Osbourne’s exit from the show, CBS said that her behavior “did not align with our values.”
“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leaveThe Talk,” the statement read. “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, 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 VIDEO: Sheryl Underwood Breaks Silence After Sharon Osbourne’s The Talk Exit, Says They Haven’t Spoken
Since the on-air dispute with Underwood, Osbourne has beenaccused of additional instancesof racism, homophobia and bullying on the set ofThe Talk, all of which she has denied.
Ali’s report also claimed Osbourne referred to former co-host and executive producerSara Gilbert, who is lesbian, as “p—- licker” and “fish eater.”
Osbourne called the claims “crap, all crap,” in an interview with theDaily Mail, butrepeated the racist language.
Holly Robinson Peete, who exited the daytime talk show in 2011 following its first season, has also claimed that Osbournecomplained she was “too ‘ghetto,'“which she alleged played a role in her departure.Osbourne has deniedever calling Peete “too ghetto” or having a role in her exit from the show.
source: people.com
