“The Talk” has named rapper and actress Eve as a co-host to the CBS daytime talk show, Variety has learned.
Eve steps into the permanent role following the departure of Aisha Tyler, who made the decision to leave at the end of last season to focus on her other television and film projects, including CBS’ “Criminal Minds.”
Eve rounds out the panel that includes show creator Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, and Sheryl Underwood.
Since Tyler’s exit, “The Talk” has featured many guest co-hosts during its current eighth season. Insiders say “hundreds of names” were considered before Eve landed the full-time gig. Eve was a standout and proved she was the right fit earlier this month when she co-hosted for a week, impressing viewers, the network, and the cast.
“The women were thrilled when they heard Eve would be joining the show and can’t wait to start talking and engaging her in the conversation,” CBS exec Angelica McDaniel, who oversees daytime programming at the network, tells Variety. “Eve is a natural fit with our dynamic group of Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts, and brings a fresh perspective and bold point of view as an accomplished artist, businesswoman, and wife who is raising four stepchildren and looking to add to her family.”
Eve is a Grammy-winning artist who’s known for the 2002 song “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” and her collaborations with Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Jill Scott, and Dr. Dre. As an actress, Eve has had roles in “xXx,” the “Barbershop” franchise, “Glee,” and her self-titled UPN sitcom.
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“It is a new career move for me,” Eve tells Variety. “I am interested in hosting, and specifically on this show, because I feel as though I can express myself in a way people haven’t seen me before, and be able to engage in great discussions [and] have some fun. I’m just in a place in my life where I was looking for a platform to express myself.”
No topic is off limits for Eve, and she’s both excited and nervous for her new role, though she’s received advice from the cast, especially Underwood. She says, “I am a pretty open book.”
The multi-hyphenate also says she’ll continue to make time for both acting and music, while balancing her new job on “The Talk.”
“I will definitely make time for acting, if there is time. I’m always interested in unique and fun parts,” Eve reveals. “And music, yes, I’ve already started recording. I started recording a few months ago. And the plan was, before this opportunity came up, was to put out some music, which I still plan to do soon.
“The Talk’s” panel has remained pretty stable during its eight-season run, though in its earlier days, the show had featured other co-hosts, including Marissa Jaret Winokur, Leah Remini, and Holly Robinson Peete.
Tyler, who has already guest co-hosted this season, is expected join the ladies at the table and fill in as a co-host from time-to-time when scheduling permits.
