Sharon Osbourne ‘bitterly disappointed’ by The Talk exit following heated race row

Sharon Osbourne is said to be ‘bitterly disappointed’ about the way her exit from The Talk has played out.

The 68-year-old quit the US talk show last week following a heated row about race with co-star Sheryl Underwood while defending Piers Morgan.

Following the news of her exit, a source told US Weekly: ‘Sharon is bitterly disappointed at how it all played out.

‘Her whole career has been based on not holding back, speaking her mind and championing free speech — so to be classified or perceived as a bigot or a racist is a sickening scenario and an utter nightmare for her, especially since she insists up and down it’s all a pack of lies and that’s the last thing she is.’

The insider added that the former music manager has been ‘trying to see all the positives’ and has surrounded herself with her many allies.

They told the publication: ‘Her family is supporting her too and it tears them all apart seeing her suffer like this. They think it’s a big stitch-up and she’s been hung out to dry for something she hasn’t done or believed in.’

The claim comes after CBS denied claims that Sharon walked away from the program with an eight-figure payout.

Addressing the reports, a spokesperson described the reports to Metro.co.uk as: ‘False, inaccurate or untrue. Take your pick.’

On March 10, Sharon made headlines after she engaged in an argument with Sheryl in which she defended Piers over his critique of Meghan Markle after the Duchess of Sussex’s recent bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

She asked Sheryl to ‘educate’ her on ‘when you have heard him [Piers] 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.’

An internal investigation was launched over their discussion, with The Talk now on hiatus until next month.

Referencing the episode, CBS said in a statement: ‘The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home.

‘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.’

Sharon issued an apology for her conduct during the discussion with Sheryl, saying that she ‘panicked’ and got ‘defensive’ when she thought she was accused of being racist.

Allegations later emerged accusing Sharon of making racist and homophobic comments about former co-hosts of The Talk, claims that she denied.

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