In trueChewfashion, there were tears and there were laughs when the show’sremaining three cohostsaddressed the news that the daytime cooking show would not be returning to ABC next season.
“The mood is a little sad around here to be honest with you,” Kelly continued. “There is a lot of people who work really hard on this show and really believe in this show and we’re all going to miss this show very, very much. We’re not going to talk about any trending topics today or hammer home the theme but we thought we’d spend the first segment of the show talking about our feelings.”
On Wednesday, ABC announced thatGood Morning Americahas been expanded to three hours and will take over the afternoon slot forThe Chew. The Emmy Award-winning show, which premiered in 2011, has featured the three hosts since its inception plusDaphne Oz, who announced her departure last August, andMario Batali, who was fired from the show in December followingallegations of sexual harassment and assault.
Instead of focusing on the negative, each host made it clear how much they enjoyed working on the show, which has aired nearly 1,500 episodes.
Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC
“I could count on a couple of fingers the days that I didn’t want to wake up at 5:30 and come to work,” said Symon. “It has been the most fun I have every had in my life of any job I have ever had and it’s because of the fans. You guys are unbelievable and you’ve made it so special for us.”
Though he received an outpouring of support from friends and family after the announcement, Symon said he “had to stop reading stuff yesterday because I was getting kind of emotional.”
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Kelly, visible choking up while speaking, made a touching tribute to Hall and Symon.
In a statement Batali tells PEOPLE: “I vehemently deny any allegations of sexual assault. My past behavior has been deeply inappropriate and I am sincerely remorseful for my actions. I am not attempting a professional comeback. My only focus is finding a personal path forward where I can continue in my charitable endeavors – helping the underprivileged and those in need.”
Sources tell PEOPLE that the cancellation is completely independent from the criminal investigation against Batali, saying “it was a business decision.”
source: people.com
