Sharon Osbourne will no longer be a host on “The Talk” following her heated discussion about racism with Sheryl Underwood.
On Friday (March 26), CBS confirmed her departure. “Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave ‘The Talk,’” read the statement. “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.”
“We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts,” the statement continued. “At the same time, we acknowledge the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race. During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew. Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.”
Earlier this month, Osbourne defended Piers Morgan after he criticized Meghan Markle for claiming that members of the Royal Family made racist comments about her biracial son. She got into a heated debate with Underwood and demanded that she teach her why Morgan was being called a racist.
“Educate me, tell me when you have heard him say racist things,” Osbourne said during the March 10 episode of the show. “I very much feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?”
Osbourne later apologized on Twitter, but the damage had been done. The show suspended production as it launched an internal investigation. During that time, Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini revealed other instances where Osbourne allegedly made racist remarks.