Aisha Tyler Leaves ‘The Talk’ After 6 Years

Aisha Tyler announced Thursday that she was stepping down from her post on The Talk after six years.

AISHA TYLER LEAVES THE TALK

Tyler’s busy schedule was the problem for the host and actress. She worked on three different shows, including Criminal Minds, Whose Line is it Anyway, and Archer, and it finally caught up to her. Tyler plans to leave in July, at the end of the current season.

The main catalyst for her decision, however, was her love for directing. Tyler recently directed a dramatic film called Axis that ended up being invited to the Cannes Film Festival. “Recently I got the opportunity to do something I’ve always dreamed of doing, which is to direct my first feature film,” she said. “I’ve always dreamt of this and I didn’t know how it would go, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. I loved directing, I loved being there every day… I knew that that was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, that that was what I wanted to put my energy into…

“I just realized I had to let something go,” the actress told her co-hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, and Sheryl Underwood. “And it’s been the hardest decision of my life because you guys are my family and I love being with you every day, you know that… Our friendships are so precious to me, and the thing I’m going to miss most is all of the time we get to spend together when we’re not on camera,” Tyler said through tears. “We’ve had babies and weddings, and you know good things have happened, and you know I went through the biggest breakup of my life with you. I could not have done this without you. I’ll never be able to thank you guys enough.”

The show has not announced a replacement for Tyler, but the other co-hosts will remain the same.

“Throughout her six seasons, [Tyler] has made incredible contributions and shared personal moments, making our viewers, cast and crew all laugh, cry and think, as a result of her signature wit, intelligence, and openness,” said a CBS statement from EVP of daytime programming Angelica McDaniel. “We love Aisha and she will always be a part of our family, with a seat waiting for her at The Talk anytime she wants to visit.”