‘Pups Alone’ Star Jerry O’Connell Opens up About First Few Months as ‘The Talk’ Co-Host (Exclusive)

In July, Jerry O’Connell officially replaced Sharon Osbourne on The Talk. Osbourne left the program earlier this year in light of her defense of Piers Morgan’s controversial remarks on Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey. During a recent chat with PopCulture.com to discuss his new Christmas movie Pups Alone, O’Connell opened up about his time on The Talk so far, whether he’s been in contact with Osbourne, and even shared the message that he has for those who have been hesitant to jump back into the series amid all of these changes. 

First and foremost, O’Connell said that he has been in contact with Osbourne since she departed the show and he took her place on the panel. He explained that he sent her an email and that she did respond. Although, he said that the contents of their conversation will remain private for the time being. O’Connell went on to reflect on the past few months of his tenure on The Talk, saying that while it is a “transition period,” it is still so much fun. 

“I love it. It’s funny. It’s a transition period. You’re working with all new people. It’s a new job,” O’Connell said while also discussing Pups Alone, which arrives in theaters on Nov. 19 and will be available to stream on Nov. 23. “Even the dumb things, like where am I parking? And like, how do I get there? And what’s the best way to drive there in the morning and where do I get my coffee? And who else am I getting coffee for in the office? And how early should I get there? How late am I staying?” 

The actor continued to say that working on The Talk has been an interesting experience for him, particularly as he’s never had a set “day job” so to speak. “I was thinking today, I’ve never had a day job, where you go to the same place every day because I’m an actor,” O’Connell explained. “So, you go to different locations or you go to different sets. Sometimes you go back to the studio, but it’s different every day. And this is like, we go to the same place and put a show on every day. It’s just interesting. It’s all-new for me.” Just as it’s all-new for him, The Talk, which currently features a panel of O’Connell, Amanda Kloots, Sheryl Underwood, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and Natalie Morales, is new for many viewers at the moment amid all of the changes to the panel. Even though some might be hesitant about all of the changes, O’Connell promises that you’ll be in for an incredibly “fun” hour of television all the same. 

“We have a new panel up there. It’s a new group of hosts. We’re having fun,” he said. “It’s a fun hour of TV. We’re really starting to gel. We were really goofing around with each other on the show … It was a really funny banter. It’s going to be a fun hour of TV, and we’re just getting started.”

You can catch Pups Alone —which also features the talents of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rob Schneider, Danny Trejo, Malcolm McDowell, Keith David, Dolph Lundgren and more — in theaters Nov. 19. If you can’t head out to a theater, it will be available on DVD, Digital and On Demand Nov. 23. Watch our full video interview with Jerry O’Connell about the film and The Talk above!