Julie Chen has confirmed she is leaving ‘The Talk’.
The 48-year-old TV presenter was rumoured to be stepping down from her role in the CBS talk show after her husband, CBS’s former chairman and CEO Les Moonves, left the corporation following sexual misconduct accusations made against him in July, and in a video message released on Tuesday (18.09.18), Julie confirmed the news.
In the video – which was recorded on the set of ‘Big Brother’ – Julie said: "I have been at ‘The Talk’ since the day it started nine years ago and the cast, crew and staff have become family over the years. Right now, I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son, so I’ve decided to leave ‘The Talk’. … I want to thank you, the viewers, for allowing me into your home every day. It is a privilege that I will forever be grateful for."
Julie then fought back tears as she thanked the show’s crew, including fellow co-hosts Sara Gilbert and Sharon Osbourne.
She continued: "To Sara and Sharon, we have been together since day one at the ‘The Talk’. I spent every day with you both. I will always treasure our friendship, great parenting advice from both, and memories and laughs and private jokes that the three of us have shared. We are the original three musketeers. I love you all. And I know this show and the sisterhood it stands for will live on for many more years. You ladies got this, and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends."
CBS has also confirmed the news of Julie’s departure in a statement.
It read: "For eight seasons, Julie Chen has co-hosted ‘The Talk’ with incredible energy, grace and professionalism. Her talents played a big role in our successful launch of CBS’ first network daytime talk show, and in the series growth into an Emmy Award-winning broadcast. All of us here have tremendous appreciation for the dedication and passion she brought to the show every day and for her generous role as an ambassador for CBS Daytime. We are grateful for her many other contributions, respect her decision and wish Julie all the best in everything she does."
Julie Chen confirms The Talk exit
