CBS
After nine years, Sara Gilbert has announced that she is leaving The Talk in order to focus on her acting and producing projects.
“I’m nervous. This is hard to do and something that I have been struggling with for a while and going back and forth. But I’ve decided that it’s time for me to leave the show at the end of the season,” said Gilbert during the Tuesday, April 9 show.
“I obviously love it here and like I said, this was extremely difficult. Last season, I did The Conners, as you know, and was also producing, and here, and I loved it and felt totally empowered, but also if I’m being honest about it, I think my life was slightly out of balance and I wasn’t able to spend as much time with my three kids as I’d like, and time for myself,” she added. “And as I’ve continued on, I’m starting to develop more things to produce and I’m having opportunities to act, and I’m just feeling like I don’t know how I’m going to do it. I was looking at the next six months and just thinking, ‘There’s no time.’ I’ll look at even just small things in my life — my youngest is 4 years old and I still haven’t made his baby book.”
“So just basic life things, but it’s difficult because this is a place that I love and a place where I’m extremely happy. I love the hosts, I love the crew, I love our staff, I am so grateful to the audience for letting me in your homes everyday. It’s been such an honor,” she concluded. “I’m not going anywhere yet, I’ll be here the rest of the season. I will come back as co-host, you’re not going to get rid of me. I’ll be around.”
The 44-year-old was emotional as she announced the news of her exit and her co-hosts, Eve, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Carrie Ann Inaba were all supportive and also emotional.
“I want to say personally you are an amazing woman,” Underwood, 55, told her. “You are a true example for others to follow. You created something very, very special with The Talk. God has given you a great talent and I think he’s opening doors for you to use that talent wherever you go. But more than that, you are an amazing mother, you’re an amazing partner, wife, you are just such a beautiful spirit and everything I think you touch, you’re going to be successful because you care about other people. We all wish you godspeed to greater things. You’ll never be forgotten.”
“I want to say so many things to Sara. I’ve never worked with anyone for nine years before. I always get fired,” Osbourne joked. “This show has been on the air for nine years and we’ve had different ladies at this table but this, to me, has been the best table.”
Sara Gilbert created The Talk and acts as an executive producer on the show alongside John Redmann all while serving as a co-host on the daytime series since it premiered in October 2010.
Gilbert’s announcement comes months after longtime co-host Julie Chen announced she had quit the show and Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba was chosen as her replacement.
Gilbert has been married to former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry since March 2015. The two share son Rhodes Emilio Gilbert Perry, 4. Gilbert also has daughter Sawyer Jane, 14, and son Gilbert, 11, both from a previous relationship.