Is This Star Going To Replace Sharon Osbourne On The Talk?

Oprah's exclusive tell-all interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back in March stirred up plenty of drama and controversy, and cost two high-profile talk show hosts their jobs. First, Piers Morgan criticized the couple, then quickly resigned from his position on "Good Morning Britain" as he refused to back down and issue an apology. Next, Sharon Osbourne came to his defense and erupted on "The Talk" as she sided with her longtime friend. It wasn't long after that that she exited the show. At the time, CBS said in a statement, per Page Six, that "the events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home." 

Since then, Osbourne hasn't spoken publicly about the controversy, but an insider did tell Us Weekly that she's reportedly "bitterly disappointed at how it all played out" because "her whole career has been based on not holding back, speaking her mind and championing free speech." But while we still don't know how she truly perceives the dramatic blow to her career and while we aren't certain what Osbourne is going to do next, we now have a pretty good idea of what "The Talk" might do for its upcoming new season.

Back on June 14, the official "The Talk" Twitter account confirmed that the show had been renewed for a 12th season, running from 2021 through 2022, and promised "more fun, more topics, more talk!" What it didn't promise was who would be replacing Sharon Osbourne, but we now have a pretty good clue of who that might be. TheWrap has learned that Jerry O'Connell is in talks to take over the gig and, according to two insider sources, he's been negotiating a contract since "at least" May and is now "nearing a deal." 

O'Connell would be the talk show's very first full-time male co-host and would join Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots, and Elaine Welteroth. He's not a totally surprising choice, however, when you consider the fact that the "Stand by Me" actor has been a guest host on "The Talk" 35 times since 2010, including 26 times this year. He's also no stranger to hosting gigs on network TV. In 2018, for example, he was recruited by Bravo to co-host a late-night talk show called "Bravo's Play by Play"; In 2019, he got to test what Deadline called an "entertainment talk and comedy series" called "Jerry O" on a handful of Fox-owned stations; and in 2021, he snagged a trial run hosting a "Pictionary" game show on select Fox stations, per Deadline. Though TheWrap notes that CBS has yet to comment on the story, O'Connell seems like he could be a natural addition to "The Talk."