Following the footsteps of her (now former) co-host Carrie Ann Inaba, “Project Runway” host and New York Times bestselling author Elaine Welteroth will be exiting “The Talk.” She was on the chat show for one season, and with her exit, the daytime CBS staple is now down three hosts — Welteroth, Inaba, and Sharon Osbourne, the latter whom made her exit after defending Piers Morgan’s controversial comments about the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle during her revelatory interview with Oprah Winfrey.
“It is an absolute honor for anyone, but especially a young Black woman, to occupy space on-air where our perspectives are largely underrepresented,” Welteroth said in a statement announcing her departure.
“It was gratifying to be able to show up as my authentic self in front of a live national audience every day in a world as divided as ours and to stay true to myself and what I stand for.”
“We wish Elaine all the best. We are grateful for her passion, enthusiasm, and insight she brought to the show daily. Her openness and meaningful conversations were attributes we admired and always appreciated,” Heather Gray and Kristin Matthews, “The Talk” executive producers, said in a separate statement.
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In July, audio of a conversation leaked between Osbourne and Welteroth, in which Welteroth can be heard soothing Osbourne after the tense on-air altercation she had with “The Talk” co-host Sheryl Underwood on March 10th. She ascertained to Osbourne that neither Underwood nor she thought she was a racist in the unlawfully recorded discussion; Welteroth has stood by those comments.
“I came to ‘The Talk’ to break out of my own echo chamber and to join a diverse cast in helping to bridge some of the divides in our world through conversation and empathy. I’m proud of how I represented myself and my community. But as I always say: when the music changes, so must your dance! I will miss my talented co-hosts and crew and I wish them the very best. Thanks to all those who tuned in every day. I’m excited to continue these necessary conversations in my work and to share my upcoming creative projects soon.”
Shortly after Osbourne’s departure from the show, fellow former colleague Inaba made the decision to take a leave of absence from “The Talk,” citing a need to prioritize her mental health and wellbeing on social media. CBS conducted an investigation into the events surrounding Osbourne’s comments, placing “The Talk” on hiatus until March 29. Additionally, accusations of racism made by former original co-host Holly Robinson Peete resurfaced, who claimed Osbourne complained she was “too ghetto” for the show.
The remaining hosts on “The Talk” include Underwood, Amanda Kloots and Jerry O’Connell.
Deadline first reported the news.
