The Talk’s Jerry O’Connell told viewers that the show “didn’t deserve” to end as he burst into a flood of tears during the final episode.
CBS’ racy daytime show concluded its 15-season run with an hour-long series finale featuring O’Connell and co-hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales and Sheryl Underwood.
The Scream 2 actor was received with a lengthy standing ovation from the studio audience and quickly ended in tears.
“I just wanted to know why everyone is so nice today,” he joked to the audience before launching into a series of emotional tributes to his TV family.
One eyewitness shared that he put his arm around warm-up host Bill Sindelar – who has long been responsible for signaling to the audience – and shared a long hug.
Through tears, O’Connell also spoke about the final moments of filming and shared what the experience meant to him.
At one point, an employee was seen running to get him tissues as he continued to talk to the crowd.
The Talk’s Jerry O’Connell told viewers the show “didn’t deserve to end” as he broke down in a flood of tears during today’s series finale
Towards the end of the episode, the entire crew joined the hosts on stage for a champagne toast with the audience
“He was very emotional, you can see how much this show and the family of crew members and presenters meant to him,” an insider told the outlet.
“Jerry kept hugging everyone and expressing his gratitude, it was very sweet, heartfelt and heartfelt.
At one point, Jerry thanked the crew for becoming “part of his everyday life” and said he has really come to love forming a routine on set. He’ll miss it.’
The source also revealed that the veteran actor said he loved the show because of the “sense of community” it had created over the years.
Ultimately, O’Connell choked up as he admitted that The Talk “didn’t deserve” to end so abruptly and could potentially have gone on for “years and years.”
During the live segment, the plaid jacket star also spoke about his time on the show, saying, “When I came here to The Talk, and I’m so grateful to everyone along the way who let me be here, I was a substitute teacher on talk shows during the day.
‘I thought I knew everything, and I came here, and I really want to thank the audience for really teaching me… not only the audience at home, but also the audience here, who taught me what was before is necessary.
“My first day here, I went back and watched my first episode, and you guys won’t believe it, but I jumped out of my seat.”
But before the camera started rolling, O’Connell, 50, also shared a tender moment with the crew and spoke to fans in the audience
Through tears, O’Connell also spoke about the final moments of filming and shared what the experience meant to him. At one point, an employee was seen running to get him tissues as he continued to talk to the crowd
CBS’ racy daytime show ended its 15-season run with an hour-long series finale featuring hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Sheryl Underwood, Natalie Morales and Jerry O’Connell (pictured from left to right)
He also singled out Underwood, the show’s longest-standing host, for integrating him into “The Talk,” saying, “I went back and watched my first episode.” I mean, you’re not going to believe this, but I jumped out of my chair.
“And Sheryl took me aside after the show and said, ‘Hey man, you’ve been here before. Just act like you’ve been here.’ And I really want to thank Sheryl.”
He also referenced Morales and Kloots: “For me, the legacy of the show is the joy we brought to people. We gave people the chance to take a break from their daily lives.
“Whatever they did, they could just stop and look at us, maybe laugh a little, and forget about their problems for an hour. And I hope we’ve at least done that for you at home, for our studio audience.
‘I hope we’ve given you a reprieve from some of the world’s problems. We love each other here. I think we shared that respect and joy every day, and we hope you felt it too.”
‘I live with a child, so I come here every day and can talk to people… about really fun, crazy topics and important topics, I’m so grateful for that. We don’t argue with each other, we really value each other’s opinions.’
Towards the end of the episode, the entire crew joined the hosts on stage for a champagne toast with the audience.
In April, CBS announced the end of the Emmy Award-winning talk show after months of rumors and low ratings in the wake of Sharon Osbourne’s 2021 departure.
The source also revealed that the veteran actor said he loved the show for the “sense of community” it had created over the years
Ultimately, O’Connell choked up as he admitted that The Talk “didn’t deserve” to end so abruptly and could possibly have gone on for “years and years.”
During the live segment, the plaid jacket star also spoke about his time on the show, saying, “When I came here to ‘The Talk’ and I’m so grateful to everyone along the way who allowed me to be here, I was a substitute teacher been on daytime talk shows
“The Talk broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning the daytime talk show to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios representative David Stapf said in a joint statement.
“Over the years, it has been a staple program in CBS’ top-rated lineup as it brings timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions to living rooms around the world.”
The duo continued, “It goes without saying that hosting and producing a year-round talk show is no easy task, and we extend our sincere thanks to our wonderful hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood.’
“We would also like to thank our former presenters and colleagues who have contributed throughout the seasons. We greatly appreciate the skill, creativity and dedication that everyone involved brought to the show every day,” Reisenbach and Stapf concluded.
According to Termthe series, which first premiered in 2010, had become the “lowest-rated show on the CBS daytime lineup.”
Still, the show would be the third most-watched series in the genre, behind The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark managing a larger audience.
The program’s original hosts included Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen Moonves, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Janet Winokur.
Over the years, Aisha Tyler, Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba, Marie Osmond and Elaine Welteroth have filled hosting vacancies.
The Talk earned an impressive Daytime Emmy Awards and a total of 56 nominations
The Talk earned an impressive Daytime Emmy Awards and a total of 56 nominations.
After Osbourne’s departure and none of the original co-hosts sitting after season 11, viewership dropped dramatically.
Before Osbourne, 71, left the show in a blaze of controversy, The cover had reported how The Talk averaged 1.509 million daily viewers between September 2020 and March this year.
Following Osbourne’s heated discussion about racism with co-host Sheryl Underwood, the talk show was put on hiatus and was repeated for four weeks.
When the show returned without Osbourne, it reportedly averaged 1.305 million viewers between April 12 and May 16 – a loss of 204,000 viewers per day, resulting in a 14 percent drop.
In March, Deadline reported that the program has seen “double-digit” declines in the demographic of “individuals and women ages 18 to 49.”