CBS continues to promote The Talk through a clip of Sharon Osbourne defending Meghan Markle against the “racist” royal family, after firing the TV host when she confronted Piers Morgan the next day.
The network has been accused of hypocrisy by the incident by industry professionals, and a source close to Osbourne says CBS is “exploiting the controversy to get ratings.”
The row began when Piers Morgan left the UK chat this morning on March 9 after saying he did not believe Meghan’s account of alleged bullying and racist treatment by the royal family in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The next day, Osbourne, 69, took a stand on The Talk, saying that while he disagreed with Piers, he supported his right to make the controversial comments on television.
“I supported my friend with his freedom of speech and his views on how he felt about Meghan and Harry’s interview,” she said.
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Sharon Osbourne bragged to the royal family and the queen, describing her alleged treatment of Meghan Markle as “absolute racism at her height” in an episode of The Talk (pictured) that aired two days before the his row of racism in the air
The four-minute clip remains on The Talk’s YouTube page, with ads attached, although CBS fired Osbourne after defending criticism of Piers Morgan, Markle.
‘I liked everything he said, did he agree with what he said? No, because it’s his opinion, it’s not my opinion.
In the days that followed, a blogger posted anonymous allegations accusing Osbourne of naming his Chinese-American co-host Julie Chen “Wonton” and “Slanty Eyes” – he claims Osbourne flatly denied.
Two weeks later, CBS fired her from the show.
But despite giving Osbourne the channel, the channel continues to use clips of her to promote the show.
In a four-minute section of the program that aired on March 8, the day before Piers’ controversial comments, Osbourne bragged to the royal family and the queen, describing his alleged mistreatment of Meghan Markle as “racism. absolute at its height “.
He also called on Prince Andrew not to be stripped of military medals on charges of child sex offenses because of his friendship with the famous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the late billionaire.
In a March 10 episode of The Talk (above), Osbourne defended Morgan in an air debate with co-host Sheryl Underwood, who suggested he was racist for saying he didn’t believe the story of Markle on alleged bullying and racist treatment by the royal family
CBS said the March 10 Osbourne air traffic “did not fit our values for a respectful job,” however, the episode is still available to watch online with attached ads
Underwood and Osbourne show up at the 41st edition of the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2014. Osbourne took a stand on The Talk, saying that while he disagreed with Piers, he supported his right to make the controversial comments to the television.
The clip was posted on The Talk’s official YouTube channel to promote the chat and garnered over 222,000 views.
And while CBS said Osbourne’s March 10 air traffic “didn’t fit our values for a respectful workplace,” the episode can still be watched online, with ad attachments.
A source close to Osbourne told DailyMail.com that the continued promotion was “equal for the course with CBS, taking advantage of the controversy over ratings without understanding how to manage it from a content perspective.”
A Los Angeles television member who works as a CBS consultant says Sharon is not happy with what is “basically the double standard.”
“Obviously there’s something out there here,” the source said. “One minute CBS says Sharon’s comments don’t fit her values, but that they keep the entire program online entirely for opinions.
“And these programs also have ad segments built around them, so they make money with those opinions.
Osbourne (far right) and Underwood (second left) entered into a heated exchange about Osbourne’s support for his friend Piers Morgan (third left), who has been the subject of fire for the comments he made about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Morgan posted this photo in February 2020 of the old panel of last year’s program. From left to right: Carrie Ann Inaba, Underwood, Morgan, Marie Osmond and Osbourne
“CBS’s commercial sector doesn’t seem to align with the moral stance it publicly adopts given its statement about Sharon. It’s clear why it felt bad here.
The source added: “Interestingly, the fact that a day earlier on the show Sharon vehemently defended Meghan and harshly criticized the royals for her racism is also getting used to commercial value.
Leaving that clip up looks like a kick in the teeth. CBS overlooked its measured support for Meghan in the past. “
In his criticism of the Queen on March 8, Osbourne said the royal family had been “deplorable”.
“How can you be the head of an empire and when someone of color enters the royal family, you are not paid, you are not a member of the royal family, your son will not be a prince, because he could have a skin of different color? she said.
“It’s deplorable now, that is, absolute racism at its height.”
DailyMail.com has contacted CBS for comment.