The “Stand By Me” guy might have a new gig sitting down.
Three months after Sharon Osbourne unceremoniously left “The Talk,” rumor has it that actor Jerry O’Connell may soon become a permanent co-host of the formerly all-female gabfest.
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As both The Wrap and E! Reported on Monday, and Yahoo Entertainment reiterated, O’Connell has been working on a deal with the show that’s been a hit for CBS since debuting in October 2010. He's been showing up as a guest host since April, and if he signs on, he’ll be the show’s first male co-host.
Perhaps still best remembered for his starring role in the classic coming-of-age film, “Stand By Me,” O’Connell would join Sheryl Underwood, Elaine Welteroth, Amanda Kloots, and Carrie Ann Inaba (who is currently on leave) on the panel.
Osbourne was an original “The Talk” panel member, but left in March after some on-air bouts with co-host Sheryl Underwood about some questionably racist remarks made by Osbourne’s friend, Piers Morgan.
This led to a hiatus and inter-show investigation which unearthed some racial unease involving Osbourne behind the scenes, which Osbourne denies to this day.
The usually reliable show has had more than its share of shifts in the last year. O’Connell would join other new co-hosts Welteroth and Kloots who joined the cast in December.
This would seem to be a good long-term fit for the affable actor, and maybe give a little new juice to the engine of a show that’s been on for awhile and copied by other, younger-skewing talk shows.
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