Photo: Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic
After CBS temporarily placed The conversation on a hiatus after Sharon Osbourne’s heated defense of Piers Morgan over accusations of racism earlier this month, the network announced on Friday that Osbourne chose not to return to the daytime talk show. “Sharon Osbourne decided to leave The conversation”, CBS said in a statement, published by Hollywood news reporter. “The events of the March 10 broadcast were unsettling for everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our analysis, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior towards his co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values of a respectful workplace. We also found no evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or surprised any of the hosts. “
“At the same time, we recognize that the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are responsible for what happened during that broadcast, as it was clear that the co-presenters were not properly prepared by the team for a complex and sensitivity involving race, ”continues the statement from the network. “During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training on equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and staff. In the future, we are identifying plans to improve the production team and production procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers. ”
On March 10, Sharon Osbourne heated up the defense of her personal friend and British TV personality Piers Morgan against accusations of racism stemming from her on-air criticism of Meghan Markle, particularly her insistence that she lied about her treatment of the British royal family. . Markle’s recent interview with Oprah Winfrey was the subject of the conversation at The conversation that day. “I feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is racist, so does that make me a racist?”, Osbourne declared to co-host Sheryl Underwood, demanding Underwood to “educate” her about how Morgan could be racist. After the segment, Osbourne publicly apologized for his collapse and later declared that she had been “raised” by the producers to be a “sacrificial sheep”.
Following the segment, which led CBS to put the program on a hiatus for two days and, subsequently, two weeks, the old one Conversation co-host Holly Robinson Peete said that Osbourne called her “too much ghetto” to host the daytime talk show, and even had a hand in her eventual dismissal from the program. Another ex Conversation co-host Leah Remini, as well as other sources, subsequently claimed that Osbourne used racist and homophobic slander to talk about former co-hosts Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert, respectively. Osbourne denied the charges against her, calling them “lies” in a press release issued by his publicist. The conversation is scheduled to return on Monday, April 12, after a pre-programmed hiatus the previous week.