CBS Defends Choice of Chen as ‘Talk’ Host

Variety

Nina Tassler admits there’s an elephant in the room when it comes to CBS’ new daytime talker.

Yes, Julie Chen is a panelist on “The Talk” — as the show, exec produced by actress Sara Gilbert, has now been dubbed. And yes, Chen happens to be the wife of CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.

But put all that aside, the CBS Entertainment prexy told reporters Wednesday. Chen is the right host for the job, Tassler asserted during the exec sesh that kicked off CBS’ portion of the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the BevHilton. More…