Jerry O’Connell Replacing Sharon Osbourne As Host Of ‘The Talk’ After Piers Morgan Controversy

Jerry O’Connell has a new gig!

The 47-year-old made his debut as the new co-host of “The Talk” on Wednesday when he walked on to set dressed as Rocky Balboa to the film’s theme song, “Eye of the Tiger.”

“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,” Jerry said to his co-hosts during his first episode.

The actor has appeared on the show in the past as a guest host but he’s making history by becoming the show’s first full-time male co-host.

🚨NEW HOST ALERT🚨
Join us in welcoming @MrJerryOC to The Talk family 🙌 pic.twitter.com/agEbTwagJL

— The Talk (@TheTalkCBS) July 14, 2021

He will be joining Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots, Elaine Welteroth, host Carrie Ann Inaba is on a leave of absence from the show due to health issues.

“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,” Elaine said. “You’re an incredible host and we are so lucky to have you here.”

Jerry is replacing Sharon Osbourne after she left the show on March 26, following controversy over her defending friend, Piers Morgan. He faced backlash over his criticism of Meghan Markle’s admission of her mental health struggles during her and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah.

Sharon’s strong statement sparked a heated debate with Sheryl who criticized the 68-year-old former talk show host. CNS announced that the show would return after a brief hiatus on April 12^th without Sharon.

In a statement, at the time, CBS said that her behavior “did not align with our values.”

“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The 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.”

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