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Natalie Morales is heading over to CBS’The Talkafter more than two decades with NBC, a source confirms to PEOPLE.
The anchor and correspondent, 49,announced to staff on Fridaythat she is leaving the network for “a new adventure.”
Morales will be the latest addition toThe Talk, joining fellow hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila,Amanda Kloots,Jerry O’ConnellandSheryl Underwood. TheDaily Mailwas the first to report the news that Morales will join the show.
In March, CBS announced the departure of formerThe TalkhostSharon Osbourne, and in AugustElaine Welterothrevealed that she was leaving the daytime series after one season.
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Morales, who is expected to continue appearing onDateline’s30th season through the end of this year, wrote in an email to NBC staffers on Friday, “How do you begin to say thank you for 22 amazing years?”
“I think back to my early days cutting my teeth at WVIT in Hartford, CT then taking the huge and — at the time — petrifying leap to MSNBC and alas— scoring the golden tickets to theToday ShowandDateline. Never in a million years did I imagine this when I dreamed of what I wanted to be when I grew up!”
She continued, “This first half of my life has been one full of adventure, challenges, travel, way too many early wake up calls, and yes opportunities to witness history unfold and to tell inspiring and impactful stories that will always be in my mind’s highlight reel.”
“Speaking of that reel: I watched my family grow up along with so many of your own children, and as my oldest son gets ready to spread his wings and head to college soon, so too do I feel the time is right, (before the second half of my life) to spread my own wings and to pursue a new adventure,” Morales added.
She became a national correspondent forTODAYin 2006 and has stayed with the program ever since. In 2011, she took over forAnn Curryas the show’s news anchor. More recently, Morales began anchoring for the west coast edition ofTODAYin 2016. And last year, she joinedDatelineas an official correspondent.
Earlier this year, Osbourne, 68,departedThe Talkamid controversy surrounding remarks she made on air during a conversation pertaining toPiers Morgan.
“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leaveThe Talk,” a statement from CBS announced at the time, going on to say that her “behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace.”
Welteroth, 34, was the latest co-host to exit the show, saying that she would “share my upcoming creative projects soon.” Two days after announcing her departure,The Talkannounced that Gbajabiamila wouldjoin the daytime talk show.
source: people.com
