The Talk's Jerry O'Connell told viewers that the show 'didn't deserve' to end as he broke into a flood of tears during its final episode.
CBS's peppy daytime show wrapped up its 15-season run with an hour-long series finale which included O'Connell and co-hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales and Sheryl Underwood.
The Scream 2 actor was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation by the studio audience and quickly ended up in tears.
'I just wanted to know why everyone's being so nice today,' he joked to attendees before launching into a series of emotional tributes for his TV family.
One eyewitness shared that he put his arm around warm-up host Bill Sindelar - who has long been responsible for giving cues to the audience - and shared a long hug.
Between tears, O'Connell also spoke about the final moments of filming and opened up about what the experience meant to him.
At one point, a staffer was seen running to get him tissues as he continued to speak to the crowd.
The Talk's Jerry O'Connell told viewers that the show 'didn't deserve' to end' as he broke into a flood of tears during its final episode today
By the end of the episode, the entire crew joined the hosts on stage for a champagne toast with the audience
'He was very emotional, you can tell how much this show and the family of crew members and hosts meant to him,' an insider told the outlet.
'Jerry kept hugging everyone and professing his gratitude, it was really sweet, heartfelt and genuine.
'At one point, Jerry thanked the crew for becoming 'part of his daily life' and said he has really grown to love forming a routine on set. He will miss it.'
The source also revealed that the seasoned actor said he loved the show for the 'sense of community' it had formed over the years.
In the end, O'Connell choked up as he admitted The Talk 'didn't deserve' to end so abruptly and could have potentially gone on for 'years and years'.
During the live segment, the plaid-jacket wearing star also spoke of his time at the show and said: 'When I came here to The Talk, and I'm so grateful to everyone along the way who let me be here, I had been a substitute teacher on daytime talk shows.
'I thought I knew everything, and I got here, and I really want to thank the audience for really teaching me … not only the audience at home but the audience here, who taught me what it takes.
'My first day that I was here, I went back and watching my first episode, and you guys aren't going to believe it, but I was jumping out of my seat.'
But before the camera started rolling, O'Connell, 50, also shared a tender moment with the crew and spoke with fans in the crowd
Between tears, O'Connell also spoke about the final moments of filming and opened up about what the experience meant to him. At one point, a staffer was seen running to get him tissues as he continued to speak to the crowd
CBS's peppy daytime show ended its 15-season run with an hourlong series finale featuring hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Sheryl Underwood, Natalie Morales and Jerry O'Connell (Pictured L to R)
He also singled out Underwood, the show's longest-tenured host, for integrating him into 'The Talk' and said: 'I went back and watched my first episode. I mean, you guys aren't gonna believe this, but I was jumping out of my seat.
'And Sheryl, after the show, took me aside and was just like, "hey, man, you've been here before. Just act like you've been here". And I really want to thank Sheryl.'
He also referred to Morales and Kloots: 'For me, the legacy of the show is the joy that we brought people. We gave people an opportunity to take a break in their everyday lives.
'Whatever they were doing, they could just stop and watch us, maybe have a little laughter, and forget their problems for an hour. And I hope we at least did that for you at home, for our studio audience.
'I hope we gave you just a little respite from some of the world's problems. We love each other here. I think we've shared that respect and joy every day, and we hope you felt it as well.'
'I live with a child, so coming here every day and being able to talk to people… about really fun, silly topics to important topics, I'm so grateful for that. We don't fight with each other, we really appreciate each other's opinions.'
By the end of the episode, the entire crew joined the hosts on stage for a champagne toast with the audience.
In April, CBS announced the end of the Emmy Award-winning talk show following months of rumors and low ratings in the wake of Sharon Osbourne's departure in 2021.
The source also revealed that the seasoned actor said he loved the show for the 'sense of community' it had formed over the years
In the end, O'Connell choked up as he admitted The Talk 'didn't deserve' to end so abruptly and could have potentially gone on for 'years and years'
During the live segment, the plaid-jacket wearing star also spoke of his time at the show and said: 'When I came here to "The Talk" and I'm so grateful to everyone along the way who let me be here, I had been a substitute teacher on daytime talk shows'
'The Talk broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning daytime talk to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format,' CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios prexy David Stapf said in a joint statement.
'Throughout the years, it has been a key program on CBS’ top rated daytime line-up as it brought timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions into living rooms around the globe.'
The duo continued: 'It goes without saying that hosting and producing a year-round talk show is no easy task, and we express our sincere gratitude to our amazing hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood.'
'We also want to acknowledge our former show hosts and colleagues who contributed throughout the seasons. We truly appreciate the skill, creativity, and dedication everyone involved brought to the show every day,' Reisenbach and Stapf concluded.
According to Deadline, the series, which first premiered in 2010, had become the 'lowest-rated show on the CBS daytime lineup.'
Still, the show is said to be the third most-watched series in the genre, with The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark commanding larger audiences.
The program's original hosts included Osbourne, Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen Moonves, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Janet Winokur.
Over the years, Aisha Tyler, Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba, Marie Osmond and Elaine Welteroth have filled openings as hosts.
The Talk earned an impressive Daytime Emmy Awards and a total of 56 nominations
The Talk earned an impressive Daytime Emmy Awards and a total of 56 nominations.
Following Osbourne's exit and and none of original co-hosts sitting at the table after season 11, viewership dipped drastically.
Before Osbourne, 71, left the show in a blaze of controversy, The Wrap had reported how The Talk was bringing in an average of 1.509 million daily viewers from September 2020 through to March this year.
After Osbourne's heated exchange about racism with co-host Sheryl Underwood, the talk show went on hiatus, going into four weeks of re-runs.
When the show returned without Osbourne, it reportedly averaged 1.305 million total viewers between April 12 to May 16 - losing 204,000 viewers each day, resulting in a 14 percent drop.
In March, Deadline reported the program has dropped 'down double digits' in the demographic of 'persons and women 18-49.'
