It’s official. Carrie Ann Inaba won’t be returning to the daytime talk show The Talk when it returns to CBS in September. Carrie Ann, who replaced Julie Chen as a permanent co-host in January 2019, had been on a leave of absence from the show since April.
“I enjoyed my time at The Talk as co-host and moderator and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to grow with the entire Talk family as well as truly connect with viewers on such a personal level,” Carrie Ann said in a statement. “I will miss The Talk, but I am excited for the next chapter both for myself and for the show.”’
In a video posted to social media, Carrie Ann described her exit as “mutually agreed” between her, The Talk and CBS network.
“Carrie Ann’s authenticity and openness created a special connection and relationship with our audience,” Heather Gray and Kristin Matthews, executive producers of The Talk, said in a joint statement. “We will always be grateful for her contributions here at The Talk over the last 3 seasons. Her warmth, wisdom and vulnerability are just a few of her many admirable traits that will be missed. We wish her much success and good health going forward.”
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Carrie will return to the Dancing with the Stars judges panel for season 30
The choreographer and dancer will return to the Dancing with the Stars judges panel for the show’s hallmark 30th season beginning in September. Carrie Ann has been a judge on the show since its debut in 2005.
Carrie Ann took a leave of absence from The Talk for health reasons
When Carrie took her leave of absence in April, she explained on social media: “I have decided to take a leave of absence from @TheTalkCBS to focus on my health and well-being. I appreciate the support from you and my family at The Talk and hope to be back soon!”
The 53 year old has several autoimmune conditions that have impacted her health over the last few years.
Carrie, according to People, has been diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, “and I have the markers for antiphospholipid syndrome, which can lead to blood clots,” Carrie Ann said.
“Going through life with an autoimmune condition, or several, like I do, can be a difficult process,” she explained in a post on her online wellness platform, The Carrie Ann Conversations.
The health break came amid controversy at The Talk. In March, co-host Sharon Osbourne left the show after an on-air tiff with co-host Sheryl Underwood over Piers Morgan’s controversial comments about Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
