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Who will replace Sharon Osbourne on 'The Talk'? Show to return without fifth host as she is 'irreplaceable'

'The show will return to air without a fifth host,' a source said, adding, 'There is no obvious heir apparent to take her seat right now'

CBS’ popular daytime talk show ‘The Talk’ has reportedly been in trouble -- be it the plunging viewership numbers or the inability to get high profile guests on the show since Sharon Osbourne's exit. The show, as per insiders, is facing cancellation, as ratings are supposedly “in the toilet." And topping it all off is of course the racism scandal that makes it even less appealing to viewers.

The big question still remains -- who will replace Osbourne? CBS announced on Friday, March 26 that “Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave ‘The Talk’,” adding that “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home.” Multiple sources, including former ‘The Talk’ co-host Leah Remini, also claimed Osbourne used racist slurs when talking about others on the show. She allegedly referred to Julie Chen, who is Chinese American, as a “wonton” and “slanty eyes” and called former co-host Sara Gilbert, who is lesbian, as a “p***y licker.”

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With Osbourne out of the picture, fans have a few suggestions as to who might be a good replacement. They are keeping in mind that the fifth host will have to get along with remaining four co-hosts Sheryl Underwood, Carrie Ann Inaba, Amanda Kloots, and Elaine Welteroth.

One Twitter user wrote, “Sharon osbourne replacement Ts Madison?” Ts Madison Hinton, also known as Maddie, is an LGBTQ+ rights activist. She is a transgender woman, and would certainly make the caste much more diverse." 

Another tweeted, “Now that #SharonOsbourne  is out, I truly believe that @kathygriffin would be a PERFECT co-host replacement on #TheTalk.” The comedian and actress would certainly make an interesting choice given that she served as a co-host of ‘The View’, the rival daytime talk show briefly. She was later banned from the show. She has also been banned from other talk shows and would, without a doubt, make things colorful.

Fans of the talk show also demanded the talk show bring back Marie Osmond, who announced her departure from the show in September 2020 after only one season. One fan wrote on The Talk’s Facebook page: "Bring back Marie Osmond. She was very candid about her life's ups and downs."

A second said, “Need Marie Osmond back." another fan said, “Since Sharon isn't coming back, maybe CBS should beg Marie to come back to regain their viewership.” And one fan wrote, "Sharon is leaving!! Now maybe Marie Osmond will come back!”

But there is the possibility that none of these choices will make the cut. The Sun reported that as per a source, "The show will return to air without a fifth host." The source said, “Mrs. O is irreplaceable. She is a unique, outspoken talent that doesn't exist anywhere else. There is no obvious heir apparent to take her seat right now,” adding that the show is also facing “issues of ratings and budget.”

The insider said, “The staff has to plan a first show back that addresses the incident in a way that satisfies viewers and sets the course for what the show is going forward without Mrs. O. This is the biggest challenge the show has ever faced and unfortunately we are not operating on the best cylinders.”