The actor officially joined the CBS gabfest as a permanent host on Wednesday, July 15, following Sharon Osbourne’s exit in March, making him the first-ever guy with a full-time gig on the Talk panel. Sheryl Underwoodintroduced O’Connell, 47, with a montage set to “Eye of the Tiger” that saw O’Connell “training” like Rocky Balboa for his big debut, complete with exercise, dietary restrictions (well, almost) and high-fives with the crew for his big debut. The announcement came after almost an entire week of O’Connell filling in as a guest host. “It’s really exciting! First of all, I want to say, you ladies have been so welcoming to me,” O’Connell said. “I mean, I came here as a guest months ago, and just from the moment I walked in—you’re just gracious, you’re kind, you’re fun, and it worked! And here we are and we’re gonna have a lot of fun, we really are.” O’Connell is joining a panel that currently includes Underwood, Amanda Kloots, Elaine Welterothand Carrie Ann Inaba, who is currently on a leave of absence as she tackles some medical issues. The 68-year-old Osbourne left The Talk in March following a heated on-air exchange about racism and free speech centering around her friend Piers Morgan’s ongoing, seemingly one-sided feud with Meghan Markle. Following a brief hiatus, several guest hosts, including O’Connell, filled in on a rotating basis, and he clearly charmed everyone involved. Welteroth, 34, gushed, “Jerry, I told you that the last time you were here, I just love having you on set every day. You bring such an amazing energy to this studio, and also like, I learn from you every day. You’re an incredible host and we are so lucky to have you here.” The lovefest is indeed requited, both in front and behind the scenes, for O’Connell. “You guys are amazing. There’s also a lot of people behind the cameras here, who really helped out a lot—our whole crew, everybody, the producers,” he said. “It’s a really special feeling around here.” Underwood, 57, was excited not just to have O’Connell, but also his wife of 14 years, model and actress Rebecca Romijn, on the set as a fixture for the upcoming 12th season. O’Connell will take some time off to pursue other projects before Season 12 bows, at which point he’ll have a permanent seat at the table. It’s not his first time hosting a talk show: He’s also filled in as a guest host of The Wendy Williams Showwhen its titular host sought treatment for health issues. O’Connell’s The Talk colleagues played a sweet video later in the show formally introducing him as an official co-host, and he was visibly moved. “It’s an exciting time, it’s something new. I don’t want to say it’s scary but it’s new, so it’s a change. And change is good,” he said. “You have to do things that scare you, that shake it up a little bit. This is definitely shaking it up, but that was very touching guys. Thank you so much. I’m excited to be part of the family!” Next, let’s talk about everyone who’s hosted The Talk—and why some have left!
