Sheryl Underwood has broken her silence, three weeks after a heated debate on The Talk left Sharon Osbourne choosing to quit the show.
The show host claimed that she had not spoken to her former colleague since the incident, which saw the series go on an extended hiatus and is now under investigation by CBS.
Sheryl also alleged that Mrs O had not attempted to get in touch, even though reps for the music manager had previously claimed Sharon had reached out to Sheryl.
On her podcast, Sheryl released three episodes for a series titled Sharon Walks Away, and spoke of her desire on the day of the debate to ensure the dialogue was started "in a way that was not perceived as attacking."
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"In my gut, I thought this was going to go left," recalled Sheryl. "And so I wanted to put it in its proper order, be very calm, but there were a few people that criticized me on that.
"It's not about the reaction of the person, it's about me and who I'm trying to evolve and mature to be."
She alleged that she was never told by management or show bosses to "blindside" Sharon with the questions.
Sheryl also claimed that when she joined the show in 2011 she was told by friends to be careful of Sharon.
Mrs O has since quit the show
"I had heard things, and I got phone calls of this and that and so what I said to those people, I said, 'Thank you for the information.' Because listen, in this business you've got all types of personalities, right?"
But she admitted that in "hindsight", she wishes she had listened more closely, although she refused to name specifics.
The segment on 10 March saw Sheryl ask Sharon to explain why she had defended Piers Morgan over comments regarding Meghan Markle.
Sharon insisted that his comments, and her defence, did not make either of them racist.
The Talk remains on hiatus
When Sheryl and Elaine Welteroth attempted to explain how they felt unconscious racism was playing a role, and that it was important for "friends to hold a friend accountable," Sharon became teary and began shouting at the pair.
Sharon stepped down as host on 26 March.
In a statement, the network said that the episode which saw the British TV personality clash with her co-hosts was "upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home."
It added that Sharon's behaviour towards her co-hosts during the episode "did not align with our values for a respectful workplace".
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