Julie Chen Moonves Returns To ‘The Talk’ For The First Time Since 2018 Exit; Calls In To Give Jerry O’Connell Advice On Hosting ‘Big Brother’

Julie Chen Moonves returned to The Talk for the first time since leaving the CBS daytime talk show in 2018.

The Big Brother host called in to advise Jerry O’Connell on hosting the reality competition as she was diagnosed with Covid and had to sit out the live taping on Thursday, September 12.

“Jerry, thank you for stepping in, you’re going to do an amazing job,” Moonves told The Talk co-host after sharing the symptoms she’s been experiencing from Covid.

O’Connell predicted that the “houseguests are going to be super bummed because I don’t think they know that you’re not coming.”

“No, no, it’s going to be so exciting because tonight’s evictee is member number one of the jury,” Chen Moonves said.

Chen Moonves added that she had to give O’Connell “a very important tip for tonight.”

“Sheryl [Underwood] help him out because you know Sheryl, you and I worked for eight years,” Chen Moonves continued. “When you go into my dressing room, go into the bathroom, on the second drawer to the left, there is a corset. I’m telling you Jerry, there is no way you’re going to fit into my dress tonight.”

Chen Moonves then explained to O’Connell that getting into the corset was “a two person job” and it was a “tug of war” to get into it.

“Don’t let those ladies fool you. They are strong. You better hold on to a grab bar,” Chen Moonves joked.

After sharing her tip with O’Connell, Chen Moonves thanked all of the Talk co-hosts by acknowledging every single one, which includes Natalie Morales, Amanda Kloots, Underwood, and Akbar Gbajabiamila.

In a statement on Instagram, Chen Moonves announced she had tested positive for Covid and had to sit out hosting the live eviction episode of Big Brother on Thursday, September 12.

“Friday morning I woke up with a sore throat and went to see my good friend who is an ENT. That night he called to say I have Covid,” Chen Moonves said in a statement shared on Instagram. “Thankfully this is only the second time for me and it’s been very mild! No fever and just a sore throat.”