The Talk Signs Off After 15 Years with Tearful Live Series Finale: ‘We Are Very Grateful’

It was a tearful episode of The Talk on Friday, Dec. 20, as the long-running CBS daytime talk show came to an end after 15 seasons on the air.

Hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood gathered together one last time for The Talk‘s series finale, reminiscing about the impact working on the Emmy-winning program had on their lives while sharing highlights from the series over the course of its 2,993 episodes, including clips from the over 10,800 guests who stopped by over the years.

They were greeted by a lengthy standing ovation from the live audience that Underwood, 61, did everything to keep up. “This it the last time we get this,” she quipped, “and we’re gonna get this!”

Afterwards, the quintet took time to express their gratitude — not just to the audience at home, but to the over 250,000 people who made up The Talk‘s live studio audience through the course of its run. “[They] taught me what it takes,” O’Connell, 50, boasted.

Speaking about the legacy of the show, Morales, 52, said: “We gave people an opportunity to kind of take a break in their everyday lives at home; whatever they were doing they could stop, watch us, maybe have a littler laughter and forget their problems for an hour. And I hope we at least did that for you at home and for our studio audience. I hope we gave you a little respite and a chance to uplift one another.”

“We love each other here,” she continued. “I think we’ve shared that respect and joy every day, and we hope you’ve felt it as well.”

Kloots, 42, discussed the lessons she learned being on the series, crying as she reflected on the power of having daily conversations with her cohosts.

“Coming here every day and being able to talk to four people… about really fun, silly topics to important topics…. I’m so grateful for that,” she said, her eyes welling up. “We can’t forget that. Listen to each other. Talk to one another. Don’t fight with each other. Really appreciate each other’s opinions. Because that’s what we got to do every day and it was so beautiful.”

“That’s what this show has always been about,” she continued. “It’s about talking and not fighting and really being a part of each other’s family. And I hope that’s what you guys took away from it.”

Gbajabiamila had a similar takeaway. “When I started this journey for me, the theme I had in my head it was going to be conversation over confrontation, especially the climate we’re in today, one thing can set everything off,” the former football player, 45, said. “It’s been a great experience. I hope what we’ve modeled here is replicated throughout the world, is that we can have good conversations; be at difference but still have love and respect for each other, even though we disagree.”

But the real star of The Talk‘s final episode was Underwood, who was given a standing ovation by her co-hosts and dubbed “The Queen of The Talk” for her 14-season run on the series.

“I got to thank Sheryl Underwood,” said O’Connell. “I went back and watched my first episode… [and] I was jumping out of my seat. … And Sheryl after the show took me aside and was like, ‘Hey man, you’ve been here before, just act like you’ve been here.’ I really want to thank Sheryl. You’ve been a real inspiration.”

After playing a clip of highlights from Underwood’s time on the show, she reflected on the day she was hired, noting that she came in for what she thought was a general meeting only to learn later that it was a job interview.

“I didn’t know that a job was to be had,” she said. “I was ignoring the calls but I had to face what God was taking me to; that God was telling me where to go. So I took the call and went to the meeting.”

She also reflected on her fashion evolution over the course of the series. “Now y’all know when I first got here, I wasn’t walking in heels. I can barely do it now. And then I wasn’t wearing a lot of jewelry and things. And you see things happening for me,” she said. “So I really want to thank the world for taking this fashion journey with me — hair and legs!”

At the episode’s end — following a fun awards show hosted by guest Howie Mandel — the co-hosts were joined byThe Talk‘s expansive crew, many of whom held a class of champagne in their hands.

“We thank God for 15 amazing seasons,” Underwood said. “We’re very grateful.”

Concluded Morales: “We thank you all for watching and laughing, sometimes even crying with us. We thank everyone for being here with us. Our wonderful crew here with us every day, to the producing team, to our wonderful, loyal audience_ so many of you who have filled the seats day after day, time after time. Our wonderful executive producers, past and present. To the most wonderful people here in daytime, we’re going to miss you all so much.”

“Raise your glasses everyone,” she said. “To The Talk!”

CBS announced in April that The Talk would return this fall for a shortened 15th and final season to “celebrate the show and give it the proper sendoff it deserves.”

The series, which premiered in 2010, has seen many hosts over the years, including Julie Chen Moonves, Sara Gilbert, Holly Robinson Peete, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini, Eve, Elaine Welteroth, Carrie Ann Inaba and Marie Osmond.

In response to the show’s cancellation, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios prexy David Stapf told PEOPLE at the time that they appreciated all the past and present hosts and colleagues “who contributed throughout the seasons.”

“The Talk broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning daytime talk to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format,” the statement read. “Throughout the years, it has been a key program on CBS’ top rated daytime line-up as it brought timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions into living rooms around the globe.”

“We truly appreciate the skill, creativity, and dedication everyone involved brought to the show every day,” it continued. “And of course, we thank the numerous guests who appeared, and the millions of viewers who tuned in daily.”

During its time on the air, The Talk garnered massive success, bringing in 56 Daytime Emmy nominations and winning 11.

In September, Gbajabiamila, Kloots, Morales, O’Connell and Underwood kicked off the concluding season with a musical montage set to the tune of Bill Withers’ 1977 chart-topping hit “Lovely Day.” 

The David Wain-directed opening showed O’Connell arriving at the studio lot in a classic car, while Kloots rode a bicycle and Gbajabiamila jogged around. Underwood appeared on a luxurious chaise wheeled in by crew members before Morales showed up on horseback.

PEOPLE previously reported that the network is considering having a new daytime soap opera take the talk show’s slot — Beyond the Gates. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, it was announced that the new show would premiere on Monday, Feb. 24.