‘The Talk’ Reportedly Looking to Replace ‘DWTS’ Judge Carrie Ann Inaba

The Talk may be adding another male co-host to its ranks. According to a report from Page Six, the show is looking for a replacement for Carrie Ann Inaba, who took a leave of absence earlier this year — and the show is reportedly hoping to bring another man to the table. The Talk already broke its all-female hosting streak by adding Jerry O’Connell earlier this year.

“They haven’t announced it, but Carrie Ann is not returning, and they’ve been trying out comics and athletes to take her place,” a source close to the production said. Inaba had already announced that she was taking a leave of absence from The Talk to focus on her “health and well-being,” but this report is the strongest confirmation yet that she will not be coming back at all. The insider said that Inaba’s departure was largely because of the fall-out from Sharon Osbourne‘s racism and unceremonious departure.

Inaba was not on set on the day of Osbourne’s “race row” back in March, which resulted in her leaving the show altogether. The insider said: “After the incident, they brought in a diversity and inclusion agency to help repair the situation, and Carrie Ann openly griped that she was being punished for things [that happened] while she was out. She returned to a new environment, and she also didn’t like that the show is starting to tackle more serious issues.”

There’s no word on who might replace Inaba, but if it is a man that would make the table evenly split. Publicly, Inaba has only had good things to say about her co-hosts on The Talk, and has already confirmed that she is returning to Dancing with the Stars in the fall.

“We all know health is the most precious gift we have. And I need to take care of mine,” Inaba wrote on Instagram back in April. “I appreciate the love and support from all of you and from my family at The Talk. I hope to be back soon! Ready for action!” She followed that up in July with a post reading: “Bring on the ballroom. DWTS returns to ABC September 20… I’ll be there!”

The source quoted above reportedly said that producers at The Talk were not pleased by Inaba’s public promotion of Dancing With the Stars. However, another insider said that Inaba’s departure is not yet written in stone. They said: “It’s 50/50. Everyone wants her back. No decisions have been made.”

So far, there has been no official comment from The Talk producers, nor from Inaba’s representatives. The Talk airs on weekdays at 2 p.m. ET on CBS.

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