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Sharon Osbourne will no longer host CBS’s The Talk, after more than 10 years on the show. The Talk has been off the air for a week while CBS conducted an investigation into Sharon Osbourne’s alleged racist behavior toward fellow host Sheryl Underwood during an episode of the show.
In a statement issued by CBS on Friday, March 26, the network stated that “Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk.” Since the show was put on hiatus — because of an altercation during a discussion on racism — it was already suspected that Sharon Osbourne would eventually be canceled after being accused of racism by her partner Sheryl Underwood.
“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,” the statement continued.
Sharon Osbourne was called a racist by her colleague Sheryl Underwood for defending the free speech of Piers Morgan, Sharon’s personal friend, when he criticized Meghan Markle’s victimhood, noting that he didn’t believe “a single word” of her accusations during the famous Oprah Winfrey interview.
Sheryl Underwood asked Sharon Osbourne, “What would you say to people who may have felt that, even though you were defending your friend, it seemed like you were validating or harboring something absolutely racist like what he said, even if you didn’t agree.”
Osbourne’s defense against the veiled attack did not align with the values of CBS, apparently. She had complained bitterly about being considered racist for being friends with Piers Morgan, who some anti-racism activists had labeled a racist for not having a good opinion about Meghan Markle. Sharon Osbourne said her angry outrage stemmed from the accusation which she did not expect from her partner.
However, CBS noted in its statement that “we have also found no evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion, or had cornered any of the presenters. At the same time, we recognize that the network and studio teams, as well as the program directors, are responsible for what occurred during that broadcast, as it was clear that the co-anchors were not properly prepared by staff for a complex and sensitive discussion about race.”
According to the same statement, the solution for CBS has been that “during this week’s hiatus, we have been coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training on equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew.”
For now, the only victim after the CBS review has been Sharon Osbourne, who defended Piers Morgan’s freedom of speech and opinion, assuring that he was not racist at any time, since his criticism of Meghan Markle was not a product of racism, but was simply because he did not agree with the attitude and assertions of the newcomer to the royal family during her interview.
Piers Morgan, the origin of Sharon Osbourne’s issue
On March 8, one day after the famous interview given by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Oprah Winfrey, and following Piers Morgan’s criticism of the couple during his Good Morning Britain program, Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu called Piers Morgan a “liar and a bastard”, and accused the British royal family of being rooted in “colonialism, white supremacism, and racism.”
With a constant admonishing finger at Piers Morgan, shouting and not letting him speak, Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – feminist political activist, lawyer, and author of the book This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity – called the British host “disgusting” for not believing Meghan Markle when she told Oprah Winfrey that she had suicidal thoughts after racist comments she had allegedly suffered from some unspecified members of the royal family.
Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a regular on Good Morning Britain, almost always lecturing on racism, white privilege, white supremacism, and colonialism. For example, in 2019 she also accused John Cleese, a member of The Monty Python, of racism.
A day after this scuffle, on March 9, Alex Beresford, guest host of Good Morning Britain, again accused Piers Morgan of racism on his own program. Faced with this new attack, Piers Morgan got up from his seat and left the set live, to the astonishment of the audience and viewers.
Alex Beresford, – born in Bristol, and with a British mother and Guyanese father – started in 2014 on Good Morning Britain as a weather presenter, in 2020 he was promoted to guest presenter, and now he is the show’s new lead presenter, following the departure of Piers Morgan. According to New York Daily News, Piers Morgan’s replacement by Alex Beresford has not been viewed favorably by some Good Morning Britain viewers.
Following the departure of Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne from their programs, a curious situation arises. Piers Morgan’s detractors accuse him of having raged against Meghan Markle, whom they consider a victim for not having the same influence and power as the British royal family; however, the truth is that, for now, he is out of his program for criticizing her, and Sharon Osbourne is out of hers for defending her friend’s freedom of opinion.
Ignacio Manuel García Medina, Business Management teacher. Artist and lecturer specialized in Popular Culture for various platforms. Presenter of the program "Pop Libertario" for the Juan de Mariana Institute. Lives in the Canary Islands, Spain // Ignacio M. García Medina es profesor de Gestión de Empresas. Es miembro del Instituto Juan de Mariana y conferenciante especializado en Cultura Popular e ideas de la Libertad.
Social Networks: @ignaciomgm