Photo: The Real/Instagram
Co-hostsAdrienne Bailon Houghton,Loni Love,Jeannie Mai JenkinsandGarcelle Beauvaisreflected on the historic show’s legacy inEntertainment Weekly’s sneak peek of the series finale, which airs on Friday.
Kicking things off, Bailon Houghton, 38, said: “We have made our mark.”
“I was talking to my mom earlier this morning. She knows this is the farewell show, and she was just telling me, ‘You guys really did break the mold of daytime television,'” she continued. “And it’s so crazy when you think of it that way. There was never a show that looked like us.”
Chiming in virtually, Love mentioned how the “purpose” of the series was to “put on people that normally wouldn’t get on” a daytime television program.
“We were able to talk about things that some people, they just ignore. When you look back at eight seasons, over 1,300 episodes, it’s phenomenal and it’s historic,” Love, 50, said. “This is actually a celebration. And we hope that our example, with what we’ve done, can continue.”
Love added, “Don’t let this end. Get another show like this together with fabulous women, because we have a whole future of things that we still have to fight for with justice and equality. We can’t be afraid to talk about this.”
Because the show featured “multicultural people,” Love said she believed they were able to cover an assortment of topics.
“We are so proud, and we will not be sad today,” she shared. “We celebrate.”
The co-hosts of The Real.Andrew H. Walker/Getty
The Realpremiered in 2013 with Bailon Houghton, Love, Mai,Tamera Mowry-HousleyandTamar Braxtonas the original panel. Mowry-Housley and Braxton eventually departed the show, andAmanda Sealesbriefly became a co-host in 2020 butleft the role after six months.
The series was Warner Bros’ longest-running daytime syndicated talk show afterThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowandThe Jenny Jones Show. It has also earned three DaytimeEmmy Awardsand two NAACP Image Awards.
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In April, PEOPLE confirmed thatThe Realwascoming to an end. At the time, Love said the cast and crew did “everything we could to scale the show down,” but it didn’t work out in their favor.
“We shot 7-8 shows in 3 days, no audience, made a conference room into a studio, but in my opinion Covid costs killed this show,” she wroteon Instagram. “It’s been a great ride and thanks to the viewers for 8 great seasons!”
The Real’s series finale airs Friday (check local listings).
source: people.com
