Carrie Ann Inaba — best known as a judge on Dancing with the Stars — has officially been hired as a co-host of CBS’ daytime talk show The Talk, the network announced Wednesday. She’s filling the seat left vacant by Julie Chen, who left the show in September after her husband Les Moonves was ousted as Chairman and CEO of the CBS Corporation due to fallout from sexual misconduct allegations.
Inaba joins Eve, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood at the table. She has been an occasional guest host during the past two seasons. She made her official debut as co-host during Wednesday’s episode. Her hiring was first reported by Variety last month.
Inaba has been a judge on Dancing with the Stars for all of the ABC competition series’ 27 seasons. She’s appeared in every episode to date. She started her TV dancing career as one of In Living Color‘s famed “Fly Girls.”
She was Chen’s choice to succeed her, with Chen addressing then-guest host Inaba her pre-taped statement in her final episode by saying “In my opinion you look awfully good sitting there, my Asian sister. I’m just saying!”
The Talk airs weekdays at 2/1c on CBS.
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