Jerry O'Connell On Joining 'The Talk' After Sharon Osbourne Exit: 'Change Is Good'

Jerry O'Connell is excited and looking forward to shaking things up at "The Talk" after becoming its new co-host following Sharon Osbourne's exit.

On Wednesday, Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots and Elaine Welteroth welcomed O'Connell, the CBS daytime talk show's first full-time male co-host, to the panel. Their fourth panelist, Carrie Ann Inaba, is currently on a leave of absence as she navigates various health issues.

Speaking about his new gig, O'Connell told Entertainment Tonight, "It's an exciting time. It's something new. It's new and it's a change. Change is good. Change is good. You have to do things that scare you and shake it up a little bit."

O'Connell also had nothing but praise for his co-hosts, saying they were "so welcoming" and "nice."

"I think after this year and a half that we've all been through, I wanted to have some fun," he told ET's Matt Cohen backstage at the show following the announcement. "This is the first time I haven't been in underwear, in my house, in a year and a half. I just wanted to have a good time, and I think that's what we're gonna do on 'The Talk.'"

When asked what he believes he will contribute to the show, O'Connell praised his co-hosts once again and said he only hopes to add to the chemistry and talent that the panel already has.

"What I think I enhance at 'The Talk' is just, us having fun," he explained. "If somebody says something, or has a story that remotely makes me laugh, or that I think is funny or interesting, we're gonna hammer that. We're gonna go right in there. I think it's mostly about us breaking down the stories and having a good time while doing it. I think the only thing that does happen is, being a new personality on a show, viewers are used to seeing other people there."

O'Connell has been in negotiations with CBS for the gig since at least May, The Wrap reported.

The network announced Osbourne's departure from "The Talk" on March 26 following an investigation into her heated exchange with Sheryl Underwood during the show's March 10 episode.

During the episode, Osbourne defended her pal Piers Morgan amid the backlash for his controversial remarks questioning the validity of Meghan Markle's revelations about her mental health during her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

She apologized for her remarks days after the episode aired but has since been accused of racism, homophobia and bullying on the set of "The Talk." She has denied all allegations.

The show was put on hiatus for weeks after the March 10 broadcast until CBS announced that "The Talk" would be returning on April 12 without Osbourne.

During an April interview on "Real Time with Bill Maher" following her exit, Osbourne admitted that she had been upset over how the controversy unfolded. She also insisted that the issue had nothing to do with race as she revisited her exchange with Underwood.

"She's entitled to her opinion, Piers is entitled to his," she said. "And that's what it's all about. Disagreeing with someone does not make you a racist in my book."