Tell me your talk show is tanking without telling me your talk show is tanking
Elaine Welteroth has exited The Talk, following in the footsteps of Carrie Ann Inaba, who left for health reasons, and Sharon Osbourne, who left following a heated on-air exchange about race with Sheryl Underwood. Welteroth’s days on The Talk seemed numbered when someone (whom I can only assume is Sharon Osbourne’s camp) leaked audio of Welteroth offering support to Osbourne backstage, which seemed very different from Welteroth’s words on camera.
Welteroth later responded saying, “To set the record straight, it was not a hot mic—I was unlawfully recorded without consent. And I never filed a complaint with HR against Sharon Osbourne or anyone else. I am disheartened, however, that my kindness has been taken out of context and weaponized in an attempt to absolve responsibility for someone else’s actions.”
CBS Has a Leaky Faucet
According to Page Six, CBS was none too pleased with the Welteroth’s off-air support, with a “source” saying, “There was a lot of tension, particularly when Osbourne[‘s camp allegedly] leaked a tape of Elaine comforting her after the incident. People thought [Welteroth] was playing both sides of the fence, and there was a [general] consensus that she threw CBS under the bus.”
Where are the Producers?
While I agree that Elaine played both sides and as a result alienated the audience, I’m curious why showrunners and joint executive producers Heather Gray and Kristin Matthews are still employed. There’s no question that the conversation in front of the camera went left in part because of poor preparation from the producers, and the on-air hosts were seemingly left to clean up the mess in the press. It’s easy for Elaine to look like a hypocrite if she was given behind-the-scenes direction about what she could and could not discuss.
One would hope that if the hosts devote their personal opinion to a show, the producers would have their back when things go awry. Thus far, no such conversation about what’s going on behind-the-scenes is on the record. Why should The Talk panel be held entirely responsible here? The producers need to step up and defend their hosts.