Sheryl Underwood didn't just sit in a chair for thirteen years; she became the soul of a show that often felt like it was teetering on the edge of a breakdown. When The Talk finally signed off for good in December 2024, it wasn't just the end of a time slot. It was the end of a era for a woman who outlasted every original host, survived a televised racial firestorm, and physically transformed herself in front of millions of viewers.
Honestly, it’s a lot to process.
Most people remember the high-octane drama with Sharon Osbourne. You know the one—the 2021 confrontation that felt like a glitch in the Matrix of daytime TV. But if you think that's the only story worth telling about Sheryl Underwood and her time on that stage, you're missing the most interesting parts. By the time the final credits rolled, Sheryl had become a survivor in an industry that usually eats its veterans for breakfast.
The Final Curtain and Why It Ended
The decision to cancel The Talk after 15 seasons didn't happen because people stopped liking Sheryl. It happened because the "magic" had simply leaked out of the building. Sheryl herself has been pretty candid about this lately. She’s mentioned in interviews—specifically on The Breakfast Club—that once you lose that "dream team" chemistry, the audience smells it.
The lineup was a revolving door.
We saw Julie Chen Moonves leave under a cloud of her husband's scandal. Sara Gilbert, the creator, walked away to focus on other projects. Aisha Tyler moved on. When you replace those foundational pieces with new faces like Jerry O'Connell or Akbar Gbajabiamila, it’s not that the new people are bad—it’s just that the house feels different. Ratings dipped. The budget got squeezed. CBS eventually realized it was cheaper to put a soap opera or a new game show in that slot than to keep paying for a panel that had lost its core identity.
That Sharon Osbourne Moment (and the Aftermath)
We have to talk about it. March 2021.
It started with a defense of Piers Morgan and ended with a friendship of ten years essentially dissolving into ash in real-time. Sheryl sat there, composed but clearly vibrating with emotion, while Sharon demanded that Sheryl "educate" her. It was uncomfortable. It was raw. It changed the way we talk about race on daytime television forever.
But here is what most people get wrong: they think they’ve made up.
Kinda. Sorta. Not really.
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Sheryl has been very vocal about the "trauma" of that moment. She’s clarified that while she still has love for the Osbourne family, the bridge didn't just get burned; it was dismantled. Even as recently as 2025 and 2026, Sheryl has reflected on that day as a turning point where she realized she wasn't just representing herself—she was representing every Black woman watching at home. There were claims of "receipts" and text messages from Sharon’s side, but the vibe in the aftermath was always cold.
The Evolution of the Panel
- The Early Years: Sheryl joined in Season 2, replacing Leah Remini.
- The Peak: The 2016-2017 era where they won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.
- The Shift: The post-2021 era where the show tried to pivot to a more "fun" and "inclusive" vibe, which some felt lacked the "teeth" of the original series.
A 95-Pound Transformation
While the show was navigating its own identity crisis, Sheryl was going through a massive personal one. She hit a point where she weighed about 250 pounds. Her labs were a mess—pre-diabetic, hypertension, the whole nine yards. She was actually on the verge of getting gastric bypass surgery.
She was scared.
But then her doctor suggested a different path. She started using Wegovy, a GLP-1 medication, which she’s been incredibly transparent about. She didn't pretend it was just "drinking more water," though she did do that too. She combined the medication with a drastic lifestyle shift: fiber supplements (Metamucil was a big part of her early routine), leafy greens, and actual sleep.
She lost 95 pounds.
She dropped four dress sizes. For the first time in 25 years, she could cross her legs. Seeing her walk out on stage toward the end of the show’s run was like seeing a completely different person, yet she kept that same "Pack Rat" energy her fans loved.
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Life After the Cameras Stopped Rolling
So, what is she doing now that the 2 p.m. call time is gone?
She’s gone back to her roots. Sheryl Underwood is a stand-up comedian at heart, and she has been hitting the road hard in 2026. If you look at her schedule, she’s booked solid at clubs like the Helium Comedy Club in St. Louis and the Stress Factory in New Jersey. She’s touring with her "Mix & Mingle" crew, including Kyle Erby and Mike Washington.
She also has that multi-year development deal with CBS Studios. She isn't just a "personality" anymore; she’s a producer. She’s looking for the next big thing, likely leaning into her deep ties with the Zeta Phi Beta sorority and her massive influence in the African-American community.
What You Can Learn from Sheryl’s Journey
- Longevity is about adaptation. Sheryl survived every casting purge because she knew how to read the room and when to hold her ground.
- Health is a marathon. She used the tools available to her—both medical and lifestyle—to save her own life before she hit a point of no return.
- Know when to walk away. She didn't fight the cancellation of the show; she acknowledged the magic was gone and started planning her next act before the lights went out.
If you’re looking to follow in her footsteps regarding health or career pivots, your next step should be a literal one: audit your current environment. Are you the last one standing in a "house" that no longer feels like home? Sheryl didn't wait for the show to end to sign her production deal. She built the lifeboats while the ship was still sailing. Take a page from her book—start diversifying your "portfolio" of skills today so that when your current "season" ends, you’re already booked for the next tour.
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