The CBS daytime series The Talk is in the final days of deciding on a permanent replacement for departing co-host Aisha Tyler.
The Talk’s Aisha Tyler announced this past summer she would be leaving the daytime talk show after six seasons
After six seasons of co-hosting the show, Tyler, who joined in season two, decided to leave at the end of season seven to focus on directing and free up some personal time.
Guest co-hosts so far for season eight on The Talk have been actress and model Garcelle Beauvais, lifestyle expert Sabrina Soto, actress Roselyn Sanchez, Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, TV host Vanessa Lachey, radio personality Ellen K, and actress Vanessa Marcil.
A CBS insider tells DailyMail.com that the current front-runners for the slot at the table are Garcelle Beauvais and Carrie Ann Inaba.
‘They both did exceptionally well on-air and really connected with the audience. Plus, the co-hosts seemed to genuinely like both of them. Those two are in a dead heat for the job,’ the source dished.
CBS is said to be conducting onscreen tests with a bevy of female talent to see who has the most chemistry with current co-hosts Sheryl Underwood, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, and Julie Chen
A source tells DailyMail.com that actress Garcelle Beauvais (left) and Dancing with the Stars host Carrie Ann Inaba (right) – who have already guest co-hosted an episode this season – are the current front-runners for the slot
A deciding factor in who gets the job of course is the show’s moderator Julie Chen. Chen is married to CBS chairman Les Moonves and a lot of the show is tailored around her.
DailyMail.com reached out to CBS for comment but did not receive a response.
‘The ratings for the show are really good but even if they weren’t, this show would stay on air as long as Julie wanted to do it. As long as Les is running this at CBS, Julie will always get what she wants,’ the source said.
This past August, CBS conducted a day of chemistry tests of mock shows in Los Angeles where the show is in front of a studio audience that did not air for broadcast.
They rotated a bevy of female talent to see who jells the most with Chen and co-hosts Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and the show’s creator, actress Sara Gilbert.
The women who performed the best in the off-air chemistry tests were offered deals to guest co-host on air through the end of October, and CBS plans to reveal their new co-host pick in November for the coveted sweeps period.
‘The network doesn’t want to become like The View and hire someone who doesn’t connect with the other hosts. They want to make a smart choice and select the best talent instead of just plugging someone into a role type so that whoever is chosen next, they’ll last a long time,’ enlightened the source.
‘The fact that Joy Behar just revealed this week on The View that the show has had 21 co-hosts in the last 21 seasons is awful,’ the source continued.
‘No wonder Barbara Walters no longer will come on the show, especially since the bulk of the turnover has happened since her retirement in 2014. That’s not what CBS wants for The Talk.’
When The Talk initially premiered in 2010, the show was originally billed as the mommy-oriented alternative to The View. The original cast included actresses Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini, but they were replaced after the first season with Underwood and Tyler.
‘The tone of the show changed and those replacements worked out perfectly. They want to get that form of magic with their new host as well,’ added the source.
The Talk has been averaging a 2.6 rating for overall audience, making it the fourth most-popular daytime talk show behind Dr. Phil (3.1); The View (2.8); and The Chew (2.7) respectively.
CBS is supposed to finalize their decision on the new co-host by October 27 so that the first week of November, they can share their pick with the world.
The departing Tyler also hosts The CW’s Whose Line Is It Anyway; stars on the CBS drama Criminal Minds; and has a voice role on FXX’s animated series Archer.
‘It’s one of the few times in the TV business when someone announced they were leaving a show, they were actually leaving because they wanted to,’ a show insider told DailyMail.com.
The comedienne actually returned once last month to guest co-host for the eighth season. Tyler has said she would continue to guest star as long as they invited her back.