The Talk in the Media: Letting Other People Talk for a Change

[Primetimer]

SARA GILBERT SAYS THE TALK IS JUST AS HUGGY AS IT LOOKS. And do not mess with Sharon Osbourne.

View the full article

[rmcrae]

Thanks for the article. I do think Julie, Aisha, Sara and Sheryl genuinely get along, but I believe they put up with/fear Sharon. She's hell on wheels and doesn't care who she stabs in the back to get her way. Julie has a bit of that last quality with the Holly/Leah following, but Sharon takes the cake.

 

Something I like about Sara, Aisha and Sheryl is how classy and polite they are when questions about The View come up. I could see them being tacky and making jabs at them since some of the View hosts have done that themselves, but they realize that things can change at any moment in the world of television and you'll look like a fool with egg on your face when that happens. Julie and Sharon, on the other hand....

[BW Manilowe]

From ET Online: Carrie Ann Inaba Replaces Julie Chen on ‘The Talk’

[FairyDusted]

Well hell that's what I get for always being behind a few days. I guess I don't mind Carrie but I never would have rolled into Julie's seat exactly. My husband was walking by today and asked why JLo was on the panel. LOL! He's got the hots for both of them now. 

[MsTree]

After Julie's endorsement on the air, it doesn't surprise me in the least.  That said, there were better choices IMO.

[Apprentice79]

6 hours ago, MsTree said:

After Julie's endorsement on the air, it doesn't surprise me in the least.  That said, there were better choices IMO.

I agree. I do like Carrie ann.

[Cementhead]

This is from the Blind Gossip web site.  So, of course, take it with a huge grain of salt, if you even choose to believe blind gossip items.  But this site is usually pretty accurate. 

About the recent Marie Osmond hiring:

https://blindgossip.com/lying-about-the-underlying-issue/#more-98479

[Mikita]

Interview for new season

[RealHousewife]

On 5/3/2019 at 9:03 AM, Cementhead said:

This is from the Blind Gossip web site.  So, of course, take it with a huge grain of salt, if you even choose to believe blind gossip items.  But this site is usually pretty accurate. 

About the recent Marie Osmond hiring:

https://blindgossip.com/lying-about-the-underlying-issue/#more-98479

I personally like that they hired someone more traditional to add some contrast. 

[MsTree]

They wanted someone older? Why? Mrs. O wants to be head honcho...all wise, all knowing,🤮  and all bullshit.

[mtlchick]

Sharon will give her first interview to (ugh) Bill Maher on Friday. https://deadline.com/2021/04/sharon-osbourne-real-time-with-bill-maher-guest-the-talk-1234734338/?fbclid=IwAR02OS04Rikcon7sprn23kCTY-PeGYb5nFNeVI__Zdhyea6jQuPqNw438lQ

[A.J.]

Thanks for posting.  I don't like him that much, but I will watch the interview to see what Sharon has to say. I know I'm in the minority but I miss Sharon on the show. She was and has always been quite entertaining. And I think the whole drama that went down was very overblown and unnecessarily led to her leaving the show. This whole mess has left a bad feeling with me and I can't bring myself to watch the show anymore.
I don't know if it will be forever, but as of right now, I can't.    

[rmcrae]

According to Page Six (got my grain of salt ready), the show's looking for an additional male co-host: https://pagesix.com/2021/08/16/the-talk-wants-male-co-host-to-replace-carrie-ann-inaba/. 

[catlover79]

No one has officially confirmed or denied that Carrie Ann is out, have they? (Though the longer she's gone, it seems less likely she'll be back.)

Honestly, CBS should rename the show now that they have added at least one guy officially. Shake up the format a bit more, redo the set, but it is not The Talk. Not anymore.

I know this sounds stupid, but officially adding men to the panel felt like a betrayal to me. It was always a show for women presented by women. I began watching during the halcyon Julie/Sara/Sharon/Aisha/Sheryl era in 2016. I still miss the segments they'd have about women's issues, and that continued when Eve, Marie and especially Carrie Ann joined. You can't have five ladies around the table anymore (and the preemptions and logistics due to COVID-19 played no small part in reducing the show to what it is today). It's just not the same, and at least to me, it's a betrayal. 

[A.J.]

I really, really can't see any of the changes that they have made being successful. The lineup so far is not exciting at all. It's time to put this show out to pasture. I stopped watching months ago. 

[catlover79]

15 minutes ago, A.J. said:

I really, really can't see any of the changes that they have made being successful. The lineup so far is not exciting at all. It's time to put this show out to pasture. I stopped watching months ago. 

The moves they have made (read: JERRY) just scream desperation. I honestly don't see them making it past Christmas if the ratings don't improve.

[rmcrae]

17 hours ago, catlover79 said:

No one has officially confirmed or denied that Carrie Ann is out, have they? (Though the longer she's gone, it seems less likely she'll be back.)

Honestly, CBS should rename the show now that they have added at least one guy officially. Shake up the format a bit more, redo the set, but it is not The Talk. Not anymore.

I know this sounds stupid, but officially adding men to the panel felt like a betrayal to me. It was always a show for women presented by women. I began watching during the halcyon Julie/Sara/Sharon/Aisha/Sheryl era in 2016. I still miss the segments they'd have about women's issues, and that continued when Eve, Marie and especially Carrie Ann joined. You can't have five ladies around the table anymore (and the preemptions and logistics due to COVID-19 played no small part in reducing the show to what it is today). It's just not the same, and at least to me, it's a betrayal. 

No, no official statement has been released yet (aside from cryptic but positive quotes Carrie Ann posts on her SM: https://news.yahoo.com/carrie-ann-inaba-breaks-her-151600356.html), but I wouldn't be surprised if they finally do if/when they officially announce Victor Cruz as her replacement: https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3485816/the-talk-replace-carrie-ann-inaba-victor-cruz-jerry/. I guess they want to even out the panel with a bit more balance.

I preferred an all-female panel as well, but the bigger issue for me is finding hosts with more than sub-par chemistry who can keep and hold the viewer's attention. Sheryl is doing her best to hold things down, Elaine's a smart cookie, but not the most exciting person, Jerry's good when he calms down and Amanda's nice, but doesn't bring much more than that to the table. I like Victor Cruz and he's the best of the male guest hosts they've had over the last few months imo, but I don't think he's enough to save the show. Hoping I'm proven wrong, but things have been looking bleak for their future for quite some time now.

Edited August 17, 2021 by rmcrae

[TheGreenKnight]

It's what I thought. I don't want male co-hosts at all, but it makes sense if they're going with it to have two men, one on either side of Sheryl.

And they are going with Victor Cruz? That was just something I had predicted, but started to feel unsure about. That's great news to me anyway, he was easily my favorite of all the male try-outs (most of whom I didn't like if I'm being honest). I had started to think they might go with Justin Baldoni though since everyone here liked him so much. It's too bad they hired O'Connell; Baldoni in that seat and Cruz in the other would've been much better, imo.

I'm actually going to disagree here... While I don't think this panel will shoot the show to the top by any means (and I think the show jumped the shark in a big way by picking male co-hosts), I actually suspect this panel will be good enough for them to coast and slowly improve to where they're at least no longer in cancellation territory anymore. With Victor Cruz added, it's only O'Connell and Amanda I don't care for. And truthfully, even Amanda's grown on me a little the past few weeks, which I didn't expect.

Edited August 19, 2021 by TheGreenKnight

[rmcrae]

It's official. 😥 https://www.aol.com/carrie-ann-inaba-departs-talk-223022168.html.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I haven’t seen much of Cruz on the show to form an opinion. I’m sure he’s okay, but I liked the CBS reporter that they’ve had on as a guest host. I would have preferred two male hosts that weren’t Jerry. He just reeks of “look at me” desperation. 
 

There’s a syndicated show that I watch called Daily Blast Live. It’s coed and reminds me somewhat of The Talk/View. Their hosts seem to like each other and they have a good chemistry. If The Talk can get that, they might be tolerable. 

[catlover79]

Well, I don't think any of us didn't see this announcement coming. It's a shame, really. We've had cast changes every year since 2017. Just since September 2020, we've seen four hosts leave (Marie, Eve, Sharon and Carrie Ann). Really, CBS, is it worth it anymore?

1 minute ago, Stacey1014 said:

There’s a syndicated show that I watch called Daily Blast Live. It’s coed and reminds me somewhat of The Talk/View. Their hosts seem to like each other and they have a good chemistry. If The Talk can get that, they might be tolerable. 

I love that show!! They've been co-ed since their inception (2017). Ironically, they air directly opposite The Talk here in Cleveland.

[rmcrae]

@Stacey1014, David Begnaud was his name and I liked him too. 

20 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

Well, I don't think any of us didn't see this announcement coming. It's a shame, really. We've had cast changes every year since 2017. Just since September 2020, we've seen four hosts leave (Marie, Eve, Sharon and Carrie Ann). Really, CBS, is it worth it anymore?

I love that show!! They've been co-ed since their inception (2017). Ironically, they air directly opposite The Talk here in Cleveland.

It's funny. Minus Sharon, the other former hosts you mentioned were fairly good fits to the panel imo. Some more than others, but this current panel is missing that one person who can bring some spark to the show. I remember The View spending a few years playing musical chairs before finally getting a steady panel again, but I'm not sure The Talk can do the same due to the awful ratings. Again, hoping I'm wrong, but losing Carrie Ann is another hit to the show imo. 

Daily Blast Live airs too late where I live so I can only watch on Friday nights, but I like them. The Talk's last table looked a lot like theirs. 

[RealHousewife]

I'm with everyone on Carrie Ann. Losing her is a big loss for The Talk. :( I get it though. She has enough on her plate. 

I think I'm one of two people here who loves having Jerry. lol Imo his high energy self is great for the show. I also enjoy him more than all the other male hosts they've had on. None of them bring excitement or many laughs. Jerry makes topics that aren't the most interesting to me more entertaining. I'm kind of surprised there aren't more of us here who enjoy him. I thought he was a huge hit when he filled in as a host for Wendy Williams. Everyone thought he deserved his own show. 

[rmcrae]

2 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

I'm with everyone on Carrie Ann. Losing her is a big loss for The Talk. :( I get it though. She has enough on her plate. 

I think I'm one of two people here who loves Jerry. lol Imo his high energy self is great for the show. I also enjoy him more than all the other male hosts they've had on. None of them bring excitement or many laughs. Jerry makes topics that aren't the most interesting to me more entertaining. I'm kind of surprised there aren't more of us here who enjoy him. I thought he was a huge hit when he filled in as a host for Wendy Williams. Everyone thought he deserved his own show. 

Lol! Jerry reminds me a bit of Leah Remini in that both are hyper as hell (Leah's mellowed out a bit since exposing Scientology) and have big personalities that scream for attention and they have to learn to curb it. I could not stand Leah the first half of The Talk's first season, but grew to love her once she dialed the OTTness down a bit. Hopefully Jerry can do the same. :)

[MsTree]

CAI was smart by getting off the sinking ship before it hit bottom.

[RealHousewife]

9 hours ago, rmcrae said:

Lol! Jerry reminds me a bit of Leah Remini in that both are hyper as hell (Leah's mellowed out a bit since exposing Scientology) and have big personalities that scream for attention and they have to learn to curb it. I could not stand Leah the first half of The Talk's first season, but grew to love her once she dialed the OTTness down a bit. Hopefully Jerry can do the same. :)

I must have a thing for hyper people because Leah was another favorite of mine. lol Jerry might chill once he settles into the show more.

I'm really hoping the show doesn't hit bottom.  

 

[rmcrae]

9 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

I must have a thing for hyper people because Leah was another favorite of mine. lol Jerry might chill once he settles into the show more.

I'm really hoping the show doesn't hit bottom.  

 

We'll just have to wait and see. They've got even more work to do in order to stabilize the show and if it all works out in their favor, great. If it doesn't work out, at least they tried. 🙂

Just came across this: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/talk-cohosts-got-emotional-hearing-150000547.html.

[mtlchick]

https://deadline.com/2021/08/elaine-welteroth-exits-the-talk-one-season-1234825093/
 

Elaine is bouncing out. So we are left with Sheryl, Jerry and Amanda with hopes of finding a fourth in under 2 weeks. 
 

Is it too late to bring back Guiding Light? 

[rmcrae]

11 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

https://deadline.com/2021/08/elaine-welteroth-exits-the-talk-one-season-1234825093/
 

Elaine is bouncing out. So we are left with Sheryl, Jerry and Amanda with hopes of finding a fourth in under 2 weeks. 
 

Is it too late to bring back Guiding Light? 

This is getting more and more ridiculous. Elaine's the fifth co-host in a single season. Some reports said she hoped the show would go in a more "newsy" direction after she joined (don't know what made her think that would happen since that's never been this show's bag) and I bet that coupled with the audio recording leak of her conversation with Sharon after Sharon's temper tantrum is what made her decide to leave. And of course the show's awful ratings. 

The stacks against the show's favor continue to rise and I don't see how they can recover. :( 

[catlover79]

Doesn't the new season start next week? Honestly, CBS, just pull the plug already.

Actually, Elaine didn't even last one full season. The 2020-21 season began on September 8th. Elaine and Amanda didn't join until January 4th. (I believe Eve's farewell show in December was the last before the annual holiday break.)

What a mess. The halcyon years are far behind them. I honestly don't know how they are still going.

Edited August 31, 2021 by catlover79

[rmcrae]

41 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

Doesn't the new season start next week? Honestly, CBS, just pull the plug already.

Actually, Elaine didn't even last one full season. The 2020-21 season began on September 8th. Elaine and Amanda didn't join until January 4th. (I believe Eve's farewell show in December was the last before the annual holiday break.)

What a mess. The halcyon years are far behind them. I honestly don't know how they are still going.

I believe so, but at this rate they'd probably be better off holding off another week. Then again that would probably hurt them too. 

I wonder if they'll go ahead and hire Victor Cruz before the new season starts? I'm not opposed to having just four co-hosts, but the current hosts that are left can only do so much. 

[catlover79]

7 minutes ago, rmcrae said:

I believe so, but at this rate they'd probably be better off holding off another week. Then again that would probably hurt them too. 

I wonder if they'll go ahead and hire Victor Cruz before the new season starts? I'm not opposed to having just four co-hosts, but the current hosts that are left can only do so much. 

Personally, I think they'd be better off just canceling the show altogether. Give everyone a severance package and move on. 

[TheGreenKnight]

Darn. I wonder if she left because of O'Connell getting paid more than everyone. I wouldn't blame her, if so. To think two of the female co-hosts are out now and neither were Amanda (the weakest link). Who'd have guessed? This show, jeez. If they hire another guy, and have a 3 guys v. 2 girls dynamic, I think this show would be done. You can't just take a women's show and then not just introduce male co-hosts out-of-nowhere, but have more men than women. That would be craziness.

If there was more casting news to come, I'd much rather there had been a Jeopardy situation and they had got rid of O'Connell before the new season even started and put Baldoni there instead.

[catlover79]

6 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Darn. I wonder if she left because of O'Connell getting paid more than everyone. I wouldn't blame her, if so. 

That's another thing. What does it say to your largely female viewership to not only add a permanent male host, but to pay the newcomer more than the women? It sure leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[Angeleyes]

Entertainment Tonight just announced that Elaine is not returning because she wants to focus on her other projects. 
 

https://www.etonline.com/elaine-welteroth-is-leaving-the-talk-171314

Edited August 31, 2021 by Angeleyes

[Angeleyes]

I should have checked this thread first. I just posted the link to Entertainment Tonight’s segment about Elaine leaving in the all episode thread, but I’ll post it here too. 
 

https://www.etonline.com/elaine-welteroth-is-leaving-the-talk-171314

[WinnieWinkle]

32 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

That's another thing. What does it say to your largely female viewership to not only add a permanent male host, but to pay the newcomer more than the women? It sure leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

That's exactly what I was thinking.   The optics here really stink.

[catlover79]

On 6/23/2021 at 12:42 AM, UsernameFatigue said:

I can't remember the last time I watched an entire show, and often don't get past the first few minutes if the guest hosts do not interest me. That was the case today, but I was struck by what Amanda said to explain Elaine's absence: "Elaine is off today but we love her and wish her the best". Is she off because she is sick?  Why do they need to wish her the best? Odd, I thought. 

I wouldn't  be surprised if Elaine does not return next season. I don't understand why she was hired if she has to do so many shows remotely. I also don't think the show is going in the direction that Elaine was hoping it would, so I would not be shocked if she did not return in the fall. 

You are a prognosticator, my friend!!!

[catlover79]

I guess I'm really not surprised that Elaine won't be back. She never seemed comfortable or that she fit in. Still, losing FIVE co-hosts in the span of a year??? 😳😳😳😳😳

Speaking of which, it's jarring to realize that only 1/5 of the show's panel from this time last year is still on - Sheryl. 😳😳😳😳😳

Edited September 1, 2021 by catlover79

[Medicine Crow]

IMO, Elaine is not a great loss!!  Just sayin'!!

[Jaded]

15 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

I guess I'm really not surprised that Elaine won't be back. She never seemed comfortable or that she fit in. Still, losing FIVE co-hosts in the span of a year??? 😳😳😳😳😳

Speaking of which, it's jarring to realize that only 1/5 of the show's panel from this time last year is still on - Sheryl. 😳😳😳😳😳

It's too bad that hour long TV show Daytime Divas about the goings on behind the scenes of a panel talk show didn't last when it aired a few years ago. I think it was supposed to be loosely based on The View and a book Star Jones wrote.  It may have lasted longer if it had ended up on some other channel than VH1 at the time. I bring that show up because whatever the hell has been going on BTS at The Talk for years now would be more entertaining then what's been going on in front of the camera for the past few years. Things really seemed to start falling apart little by little after Sara left.

I'm not surprised Elaine left either and agree she never seemed comfortable. That may have been why I could never get into her being a host. I could have been picking up on her feeling unsettled without realizing it. She did seem to be a bit out of her element and was probably unhappy that the show didn't go into the direction she was hoping it would.

[catlover79]

1 minute ago, Jaded said:

I'm not surprised Elaine left either and agree she never seemed comfortable. That may have been why I could never get into her being a host. I could have been picking up on her feeling unsettled without realizing it. She did seem to be a bit out of her element and was probably unhappy that the show didn't go into the direction she was hoping it would.

I definitely picked up on the vibe that Elaine was uncomfortable. Amanda began the same day but whatever her weaknesses as a host, she seemed to blend in better. I feel like Elaine was more suited for The View...if they'd had an opening. She seems like something political and social justice would have been more her speed - which isn't something this show is or ever was. Still, she and Amanda weren't there when the going was still good. Elaine probably saw the writing on the wall, just like Carrie Ann. Does anyone honestly see this disaster lasting another entire season? 😳😳😳😳😳

[rmcrae]

4 hours ago, catlover79 said:

Personally, I think they'd be better off just canceling the show altogether. Give everyone a severance package and move on. 

Now I'm really wondering why the hell they've had Carnie hanging on a string all these years. No, she's not everybody's cup of tea, but she's been a constant fill-in for a decade and has said multiple times that she's not opposed to becoming a permanent host. Not that finally hiring her would save the show, but at least it'd be one less headache.

3 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

Darn. I wonder if she left because of O'Connell getting paid more than everyone. I wouldn't blame her, if so. To think two of the female co-hosts are out now and neither were Amanda (the weakest link). Who'd have guessed? This show, jeez. If they hire another guy, and have a 3 guys v. 2 girls dynamic, I think this show would be done. You can't just take a women's show and then not just introduce male co-hosts out-of-nowhere, but have more men than women. That would be craziness.

If there was more casting news to come, I'd much rather there had been a Jeopardy situation and they had got rid of O'Connell before the new season even started and put Baldoni there instead.

If the Victor Cruz replacement rumors prove true then it would be split down the middle with 2 male hosts and 2 female hosts. Usually I'd give CBS the benefit of the doubt that they'd leave the count of male hosts at 2, but they've been making shitty decisions throughout the past season so who knows? 😔 

13 minutes ago, Jaded said:

It's too bad that hour long TV show Daytime Divas about the goings on behind the scenes of a panel talk show didn't last when it aired a few years ago. I think it was supposed to be loosely based on The View and a book Star Jones wrote.  It may have lasted longer if it had ended up on some other channel than VH1 at the time. I bring that show up because whatever the hell has been going on BTS at The Talk for years now would be more entertaining then what's been going on in front of the camera for the past few years. Things really seemed to start falling apart little by little after Sara left.

I'm not surprised Elaine left either and agree she never seemed comfortable. That may have been why I could never get into her being a host. I could have been picking up on her feeling unsettled without realizing it. She did seem to be a bit out of her element and was probably unhappy that the show didn't go into the direction she was hoping it would.

I was so annoyed at VH1 for canceling Daytime Divas. That show was really coming into its own by the time they canned it. 

It also didn't help that Elaine did the show remotely from NYC for a few weeks. It was hard enough for her to try and fit in when she was physically there, but doing it from a screen made it even more difficult. I'm telling you, TPTB should've hired Brigitte Neilson, Rumer Willis or any of the other good hopefuls when they had the chance. Don’t factor in how many Twitter followers (some reports said the show was interested in hiring the nice but boring Jenna Dewan based on her strong social media following) and pay attention to the viewer feedback from their trial appearances. They got it right when they hired Aisha and Carrie Ann, but they've gotten further and further off the mark since then. 

3 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

I definitely picked up on the vibe that Elaine was uncomfortable. Amanda began the same day but whatever her weaknesses as a host, she seemed to blend in better. I feel like Elaine was more suited for The View...if they'd had an opening. She seems like something political and social justice would have been more her speed - which isn't something this show is or ever was. Still, she and Amanda weren't there when the going was still good. Elaine probably saw the writing on the wall, just like Carrie Ann. Does anyone honestly see this disaster lasting another entire season? 😳😳😳😳😳

Elaine would be more suited for The Real imo. They've done a good job of discussing more serious/political issues without losing the "girlfriends" vibe since the start of their show. Plus Elaine came from Teen Vogue so The Real's viewer demo would be right up her alley. And I'd like to see her on a show I actually watch.

[rmcrae]

52 minutes ago, Medicine Crow said:

IMO, Elaine is not a great loss!!  Just sayin'!!

As much as I liked Elaine and her attempts at expressing an individual opinion before joining the "I agree/no, I agree too" brigade, no, she's not a great loss. That would be Carrie Ann. 😪

[UsernameFatigue]

2 hours ago, catlover79 said:

You are a prognosticator, my friend!!!

Ha.  I haven't been on this thread in awhile as I stopped watching the show when the new episodes ended for this season. So when I read the above post, I mistakenly thought it said procrastinator, and wondered what that meant in relation to my post - lol. But no, I am not surprised. 

I always thought that Elaine wanted to tackle more serious subjects. But then in the leaked audio of her convo with Sharon after the on air debacle, Elaine said that she did not want to always have to be the person speaking for the Black community (to paraphrase). So I wasn't really sure what her POV was with regards to where the show should be headed. So maybe it just wasn't a good fit for her in any way. 

 

50 minutes ago, rmcrae said:

As much as I liked Elaine and her attempts at expressing an individual opinion before joining the "I agree/no, I agree too" brigade, no, she's not a great loss. That would be Carrie Ann. 😪

I also didn't know until now that Carrie Ann is not returning. Not surprised by that either, but I do think she is a much bigger loss than Elaine. So I wonder what direction the show will go in now? Personally I think they should have another male host, and stick with 4 hosts but that will not likely be what happens. 

I guess when it returns I will tune in to see what TPTB come up with, but not holding my breath that they will make good long term decisions. Or even short term, for that matter. 

[MsTree]

The comings & goings on this show is becoming more than absurd. CBS should just hire an all male panel and create an entirely different show.

And yes, I know it's been done before and flopped...which is exactly my point. As someone else said "pull the plug" and call it a day.

[UsernameFatigue]

13 hours ago, rmcrae said:

 

I think Elaine meant that she was uncomfortable with feeling the pressure of having to be a spokesperson for and meet the highest expectations of the whole Black community at all times as opposed to tackling serious issues from an individual standpoint minus those expectations in that leaked audio. Unfortunately this wasn't the place for that so homegirl peaced out. 

Yes, that is what I meant but didn't express as clearly. IIRC, Elaine said in the leaked convo that she didn't always have the same opinion, or even a strong opinion, on any given subject. I can see how it would be frustrating to not be allowed, in some sense, to have your own opinion but rather be expected to be a spokesperson of sorts. 

I also remember Elaine saying that she did not want to broach the subject of Piers to Sharon, and refused producers' direction to do so. I also remember back when Sharon left, that she said Carrie Ann was very upset to be made by producers to ask the question (supposedly on behalf of a viewer) of why it is OK for Blacks to use the N word. As I recall, Elaine was very rude to Carrie Ann in her answer, to the point of Carrie Ann crying. (She also seemed to forget that Carrie Ann is herself a POC). Sharon said that after that, the hosts decided that they would not let the producers direct them to do something they did not agree with. Obviously it happened again (without Elaine's participation, or Carrie Ann's since she wasn't there that day). 

So I honestly think both Carrie Ann and Elaine not coming back may stem from the producers' actions towards to hosts. I rather doubt if either of them actually trust them any longer. 

[catlover79]

14 hours ago, rmcrae said:

Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Funnily enough I felt the show really lost its footing when they came back to the studio last fall. The "at home" shows were awkward at first, but got better after awhile to me. The gossip over Sharon and (I'm hoping this was false) Sheryl playing a part in Marie leaving coupled with Eve doing the show from London and the lack of an audience didn't help. Then all the drama that followed after that, of course. 

It's so funny that things turned out that way. When the 2019-20 season began, things seemed great and ratings were still good. When they moved to the "at home" format, I missed almost every episode because here in Ohio, our governor had daily state COVID-19 briefings at 2 PM. I had to wait until the episodes showed up On Demand and sat through ten million commercials. I remember us chatting about how we wished they were back in studio because the chemistry seemed off via Zoom. Boy, were we wrong! I wonder if things would have gone off the rails as quickly if they had stayed remote all season, like The View did.

But I guess it's all a moot point now. It really says something about how far things have fallen when even someone who joined just this year is jumping ship.

[UsernameFatigue]

4 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

 

But I guess it's all a moot point now. It really says something about how far things have fallen when even someone who joined just this year is jumping ship.

And jumped ship after just half a season, since Eve only left in December of 2020. 

Edited to add- that is likely what you meant about this year as opposed to season.  😀

Edited September 1, 2021 by UsernameFatigue

[catlover79]

Remember when the 2019-20 season began, they had a big promotion of broadcasting the show from a viewer's home? Obviously, the pandemic put the kibosh on that.