‘The Talk’: Sharon Osbourne Internal Review Leads to Sudden Cancellation of Live Shows

The Talk was scheduled to return with new live shows on Monday and Tuesday, but those plans have been scrapped. The decision comes after CBS announced plans to launch an internal review into the March 10 episode, which included the heated conversation between Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood about Osbourne’s support for Piers Morgan. In an interview with Variety on Saturday, Osbourne claimed she was “blindsided” by the topic being included in the show.

Both the Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16 live episodes were canceled, sources told Deadline. The staff was notified about the decision on Sunday. The next new episode will air on Wednesday, March 17. Elizabeth Vargas was scheduled to appear on the Monday episode, while Carly Pearce was stopping by on Tuesday.

CBS did not comment on the decision to cancel the episodes. The network announced its plans to review the situation from the March 10 episode on Friday night. “We are committed to a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace,” the network said. “All matters related to the Wednesday episode of The Talk are currently under internal review.”

In the March 10 episode, the topic of Osbourne’s support for Morgan was brought up after she defended him in a tweet. Morgan stormed off the set of Good Morning Britain earlier last week when a colleague confronted him on-air about his controversial Meghan Markle comments. Moments later, Morgan announced he was leaving the ITV morning show.

During their discussion, Underwood told Osbourne that by standing by her friend, “it appears that you are giving validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist.” Osbourne then said she felt like she was being put “in the electric chair” because she was defending a friend people believe is racist. “Educate me, tell me when you have heard him say racist things?” she told Underwood. “I very much feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?”

Osbourne later issued an apology on social media, but she later told Variety she was surprised the discussion came up at all. She claimed it was the first time in 11 years she was not involved in the planning of a segment. She said she was only asked if it was OK to bring up Morgan’s situation on the show eight minutes before it started.

“I said, ‘Sure, they can ask me whatever,’” Osbourne told Variety. “But then I get on there, I say my piece, and Sheryl [Underwood] turns around straight-faced, looks at me, and is reading from a card with questions. I was just so hurt, caught off guard and stunned by what I was being asked, and not prepared. I was honestly in shock. I felt like I was in front of a firing squad. I felt like a lamb held out for slaughter… They had me there for 20 minutes.”

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