There's More Bad News For The Talk. Here's What We Know
Sharon Osbourne was left "The Talk" at the end of March following heavy public scrutiny. Osbourne got into an on-air fight with fellow co-host Sheryl Underwood after Osbourne defended comments made by Piers Morgan about Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. After the March 10 show, during which she made comments many considered to be racist, Osbourne posted an apology to her Twitter account. The show went on a hiatus before CBS made a statement revealing Osbourne had been let go. "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," the statement read (via NBC News).
Carrie Ann Inaba, another one of the show's hosts, announced on April 26, nearly a month after Osbourne left the show, that she would be taking a leave of absence from the show to focus on her health. Inaba shared the news in an Instagram video, saying that "health is the most important thing."
So what does this mean for the show's ratings? Nothing good. Read on to find out more.
The Talk becomes the lowest-rated daytime program
"The Talk" returned from its month-long hiatus on April 13 following Sharon Osbourne's controversial defense of Piers Morgan's comments about Meghan Markle. While the ratings before the hiatus weren't stellar, Soap Opera Network reported that it has now become the lowest-rated daytime show. "The Talk" came in last place in the women 18-49 demographic, with a .23 rating, and with women 25-54 demographic, with a .35 rating. Just after the drama with Osbourne took place, the show was pulling in an average of 1.505 total viewers, down 27% from the 2.057 million viewers from the previous season as of March. Meanwhile, The View viewership is up 14% since last March, per the Daily Mail.
After the show's premiere in 2010, Osbourne was the last original host standing and some fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment about her departure. "@MrsSOsbourne is off the Talk. That means I'm leaving as well. No Sharon No Talk," one disappointed fan tweeted. The show is now hosted by Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots, and Elaine Welteroth. Will they be able to get the ratings back up? Only time will tell.