Jerry O'Connell Says He Can't Wait to Work With New 'The Talk' Co-Host Akbar Gbajabiamila (Exclusive)

Jerry O'Connell is eager to work with The Talk's newest co-host! ET's Matt Cohen spoke to the 47-year-old TV personality at Star Trek's 55th anniversary red carpet, and O'Connell couldn't hold back his excitement about Akbar Gbajabiamila joining the CBS series.

"We have a new co-host, Akbar. He is amazing and I can’t wait to star with him," O'Connell said. "I have known him for years. It is going to be so much fun."

O'Connell and Gbajabiamila, who are the first male hosts on the show, will be hosting alongside Amanda Kloots and Sheryl Underwood when season 12 kicks off on Sept. 13.

When ET's Lauren Zima spoke to Kloots on Wednesday, she also expressed excitement about welcoming  Gbajabiamila into the fold.

"I loved Akbar from the first time he co-hosted with us. I ran over to him and I was like, 'You're amazing," she said. "Oh my gosh his energy, his stature, he's just class act. I love the guy. He's a father. I think he's a great addition and I think it's gonna be a really cool season."

The group of four hosts leaves one spot open for another person to join. While O'Connell noted that his wife, Rebecca Romijn, is up for the task, he implied that she'd sit in for him and not as a permanent host.

"The bosses did say to me, 'Hey, is your wife available to come in?'" O'Connell told ET. "And so my wife might be taking over my seat at some point."

While the upcoming new season has plenty to celebrate, The Talk family has another thing to look forward to, as Kloots is set to compete on Dancing With the Stars' 30th season.

"I am very excited for our other co-host, Amanda," O'Connell said. "... I placed a lot of money for her to win. I took a lot of money out of my children's college fund. That is how confident I feel about my co-star bringing home the mirrorball."

As for what brought him to the red carpet in the first place, O'Connell, who voices Jack Ransom on Star Trek: Lower Decks, had nothing but positive things to say about the long-lasting franchise.

"I think Star Trek has been so popular for decades," he said, "because it represents everything that is good about humankind." 

Fans worldwide will be able to live-stream the Star Trek Day celebration panels for free at StarTrek.com/Day, on Paramount + and on Paramount+’s Twitch page. Meanwhile, The Talk airs weekdays on CBS.

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