Entertainment
Piers Morgan brands Sharon Osbourne’s exit from The Talk a ‘disgrace’ amid race row
Piers Morgan has branded Sharon Osbourne’s departure from The Talk a ‘disgrace’.
CBS announced the 68-year-old would be leaving the show in a statement on Friday, following her on-air row with Sheryl Underwood.
In an instalment from the US talk show earlier this month, Sharon had a heated discussion with her co-host, fiercely defending Piers’ comments regarding Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey – leading to backlash from viewers.
Blasting his pal’s exit from the show on Twitter, he fumed: ‘What’s happened to @MrsSOsbourne is an absolute disgrace that shames CBS.
‘Bullied out of her job for defending me against an invented slur of racism because I don’t believe a liar.’
He also explained he would be sharing his ‘own truth’ about his exit from Good Morning Britain in the Mail On Sunday.
In a statement released by CBS, bosses said Sharon decided herself to leave the show after she came under fire from viewers.
‘The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home,’ the statement, obtained by Deadline, read.
‘As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behaviour 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.’
‘At the same time, we acknowledge the Network and Studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race.’
‘During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew,’ it continued.
‘Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.’
Following a hiatus, The Talk is due to return on April 12.
Sharon became emotional in her defence of Piers in an episode that aired on March 10, saying that she felt she was being ‘put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is racist’.
During the heated clash, she asked Sheryl to ‘educate’ her on ‘when you have heard him say racist things’, while her co-star calmly responded: ‘It is not the exact words of racism, it’s the implication and the reaction to it.’
The former X Factor judge later issued an apology for her conduct during the scenes, saying that she ‘panicked’ and got ‘defensive’ when she thought she was being accused of being racist.
In her apology, she wrote: ‘To anyone of colour that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused or let down by what I said, I am truly sorry.’
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