‘The Chew’ Stars Talk the Program’s Cancellation: “We’re All Going to Miss This Show Very, Very Much”

It's time to say goodbye to a daytime favorite. One day after ABC announced that they have cancelled The Chew after seven years to make way for a third hour of Good Morning America, the show's stars have opened up about the series' unexpected end. "It’s an interesting day here at The Chew because most of you might have heard, some of you might not have, but The Chew has not been picked up for an eighth season — our seventh season is our last," Clinton Kelly opened the Thursday, May 24 show.

Clinton's comment was immediately met with "boos" from the audience, to which the co-host replied, "It’s okay, It’s okay. These things happen." He continued, "The mood is a little sad around here to be honest with you. There is a lot of people who work really hard on this show and really believe in this show and we’re all going to miss this show very, very much. We’re not going to talk about any trending topics today or hammer home the theme but we thought we’d spend the first segment of the show talking about our feelings."

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Host Michael Symon then expressed his thoughts on The Chew's cancellation. "I could count on a couple of fingers the days that I didn’t want to wake up at 5:30 a.m. and come to work. It has been the most fun I have every had in my life of any job I have ever had and it’s because of the fans. You guys are unbelievable and you’ve made it so special for us," he said.

Clinton then told his co-hosts, Michael and Carla Hall, how much they've meant to him during the show's run. "About nine years ago, I decided I made a vow to live my life under three guiding principles and those are love, awe, and gratitude. I am so grateful to have worked with you guys and gotten to know you for the past seven years because not only are you talented chefs and great TV personalities and really just generous co-hosts, you’re also just good people. You are really the salt of the earth, good human beings," he said.

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On Wednesday, May 23, ABC released an official statement about The Chew's cancellation. "After seven seasons, 1,454 episodes, multiple Emmy nominations, and two Emmy Awards, The Chew will cease production at the end of this season but will continue to air as planned until September with all-new episodes airing in June," the network said in a press release. Since GMA is the "No. 1 morning show," ABC believes "there is great opportunity for viewers and advertisers in expanding to a third hour." The company called the move bittersweet, and they made sure to "applaud and thank Gordon Elliott, Aimee Householder, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and the entire cast and crew for their great work and amazing run. And we wish them the very best.”

The sad news comes nearly six months after one of the hosts, Mario Batali, was fired following his sexual misconduct scandal, and one year after Daphne Oz exited the program. ABC has yet to announce the title or anchors for the new third hour of GMA, but promised to do so in the coming months. They did announce that we can look forward to "even more news, pop culture, compelling interviews, and the program’s signature, epic live events."

Clinton, Carla, Daphne, Michael, and Mario.

Perhaps the backlash after Mario was fired was too much to overcome, and while Carla was still enjoying the gig, she admitted to People that it had gotten more challenging without Mario and Daphne being replaced. "Nobody can hide. With three people, you really can’t say, ‘Okay, those four will take care of it.' You have to be engaged and I think we’ve become closer, because even when you have a cooking segment and it’s the three of us, everybody is joining in. It has been so much fun because we’ve had to raise the energy." We can't wait to see what's next for the talented hosts!