His arrival comes after the departures of Sharon Osbourne, Carrie Ann Inaba and, most recently, Elaine Welteroth
Akbar Gbajabiamila will join season 12 of"The Talk" full time starting September 13th. After losing two hosts back in August -- and Sharon Osbourne before that -- Gbajabiamila has filled one of their vacancies.
He will be the second male host permanently joining the cast alongside the recently-added Jerry O'Connell and veteran cohosts Sheryl Underwood and Amanda Kloots at the table. In addition to his new gig, the former NFL player also hosts"American Ninja Warrior." He appeared on"The Talk" as a guest host over the summer before making the job permanent.The Talk
as a host. I am so excited for this new generation of such a long-standing establishment," said Gbajaiamila."To be a part of this diverse group is truly a dream and a new statement for The Talk. In a world as divided as ours, I look forward to showing up as my fun and authentic self every day and advocating for conversation over confrontation."announced that she would be leaving the show just after one season.
"I came to 'The Talk' to break out of my own echo chamber and to join a diverse cast in helping to bridge some of the divides in our world through conversation and empathy," Welteroth told