Sharon Osbourne leaves chat show The Talk after racism row with co-host

She had previously defended her friend Piers Morgan

Sharon Osbourne arrives at the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Microsoft Theater L.A. Live on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California, United States
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

Sharon Osbourne has left chat show The Talk after a row around racism with a fellow presenter.

Two weeks ago, after Sharon defended Piers Morgan's comments about Meghan Markle on GMB, CBS paused production of the chat show to investigate Sharon’s controversial discussion on race with fellow host Sheryl Underwood.

Sharon later released a statement via Twitter to apologize for her words and to explain that her reaction and argument came as she felt 'blindsided' and she had let her 'fear and horror of being accused of being racist take over'.

When Piers Morgan was sacked from Good Morning Britain after his opinions on Meghan Markle friend Sharon tweeted: "@piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that you're paid for your opinion and that you're just speaking your truth."

However, her co-host Sheryl Underwood pressed her on her views about Piers, clarifying: "It is not the exact words of racism, it's the implication and the reaction to it."

A statement from CBS last night said that shows episode was "upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home".

It went on to say: "As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts."

See more

More from Woman & Home:

·    The best bras for every shape and size

·    The best foundation for oily skin

·    The best yoga mats for stretching and meditation

Sharon, who is yet to comment on her departure from the chat show, has been a host on the show for 11 seasons and is known for her controversial opinions.

Since the heated debate with her co-host, she has also been accused of using discriminatory language towards her other The Talk co-stars.

The wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne would often refer to her ex-colleague, Julie Chen, as ‘wonton’ and ‘slanty eyes’, according to claims by actor Leah Remini, who co-hosted the show on its first season. 

Leah told journalist Yashir Ali that Sharon once said, “I mean, who the f–k does slanty eyes think she is? She shouldn’t be pillow-talking with our boss.” Julie, who was one of The Talk’s original presenters, left the show in 2018 after nine seasons. 

Sarah Finley

Sarah is a freelance journalist - writing about the royals and celebrities for Woman & Home, fitness and beauty for the Evening Standard and how the world of work has changed due to the pandemic for the BBC. 

 

She also covers a variety of other subjects and loves interviewing leaders and innovators in the beauty, travel and wellness worlds for numerous UK and overseas publications. 

 

As a journalist, she has written thousands of profile pieces - interviewing CEOs, real-life case studies and celebrities - interviewing everyone from Emma Bunton to the founder of Headspace.