PureDWTS Carrie Ann Inaba to Permanently Replace Julie Chen on The Talk?

Per Variety, it looks like Carrie Ann may be getting a new gig:

Carrie Ann Inaba is set to take over Julie Chen’s chair on “The Talk.”

Sources tell Variety that Inaba has closed a deal to join the CBS daytime chat show, and will come aboard in January. A CBS representative declined to comment for this story.

Inaba has been one of several guest hosts filling in since Chen’s departure from the daytime talker in September, which came on the heels of Chen’s husband–CBS chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves–being ousted from the company over multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Inaba joins a panel that consists of Eve, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood. Previous co-hosts include Marissa Jaret Winokur, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini, and Aisha Tyler.

So what does this mean for DWTS? My guess is that she may see the writing on the wall and realize that DWTS is a sinking ship, and that she needs to strike while the iron is hot and slide into a more permanent (and probably lucrative) gig. I don’t see CBS sharing her, either, especially if she’s permanently contracted for The Talk. So who knows – maybe we’ll see a shakeup on the judging panel. I think they’ve got time to figure it out, given that we likely won’t see a spring season until at least April, if at all. Can’t say that I’d particularly miss her on the judging panel – she seems to be the judge most likely to effusively gush over just-ok routines and nitpick fantastic ones in order to fit an agenda.

Thoughts?