Sara Gilbert Leaving 'The Talk' — Watch Her Emotional On-Air Announcement
The Talk is poised to lose another longtime co-host: Sara Gilbert, who also created the CBS chatfest, announced on Tuesday’s broadcast that she plans to leave the show at the end of its current ninth season.
“This is something that I have been struggling with for a while, and going back and forth, but I’ve decided that it’s time for me to leave the show at the end of this season,” an emotional Gilbert said to gasps from the audience. “I obviously love it here, and like I said, this was extremely difficult. Last season, I did The Conners and was also producing and [hosted] here. I loved it and felt totally empowered, but also, if I’m being honest about it, my life was slightly out of balance. I wasn’t able to spend as much time with my three kids as I’d like, or take time for myself.”
She added, “As I’ve continued on, I’m starting to develop more things to produce, and I’m having opportunities to act. I don’t know how I’m going to do it all. I’m looking at the next six months and thinking, ‘There’s not time.’ … It’s difficult because this is a place that I love and a place that I’m extremely happy. I love the hosts, I love the crew, I love our staff, I’m so grateful to the audience for letting me in your homes every day. It’s been such an honor.”
Gilbert’s co-hosts also got choked up during her announcement, particularly Sharon Osbourne, who has worked on the show with Gilbert since Season 1.
“I have to say that this show — it’s been on the air for nine years, and we’ve had different ladies at this table, but this to me has been the best [group],” Osbourne said. “You can respect people and enjoy working with them, but there’s always someone that gets on your nerves… And there’s nobody that gets on each other’s nerves here. Sara, since she took over this seat, has just been slamming it every show.”
Osbourne, while mopping up dripped mascara from the dais, went on to hail Gilbert’s “dry humor that comes out of nowhere,” and then note how “quick” and “sarcastic” and “fabulous” the departing cohost is.
Last September, Talk co-host Julie Chen — who had also been with the daytime series since its inception — departed the show after her husband, former CBS CEO Les Moonves, was fired in the wake of sexual assault allegations. Chen was replaced by Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who became a permanent co-host in January.
Watch Gilbert’s emotional announcement below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on her exit.
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