It looks like Hallmark Channel has already found a replacement for Martha Stewart: Marie Osmond.
Multiple news outlets are reporting that the channel will air a new daytime talk show hosted by Osmond during the slot formerly occupied by “The Martha Stewart Show.”
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Osmond currently performs in a variety show with her brother, Donny Osmond, in Las Vegas. She reemerged onto the entertainment scene when she competed in the 2007 season of “Dancing With the Stars.” Since then she has become the spokeswoman for diet program Nutrisystem.
At the beginning of the year Hallmark announced that “The Martha Stewart Show” would stop production in April 2012, but episodes will continue into September. Coincidentally, Osmond’s show will reportedly premiere the same month.
“While we’re still in discussions with Marie, we’re extremely excited about the prospect of Marie Osmond joing the Hallmark family,” a spokeswoman for Hallmark told Fox News. “We think she’s perfect for our brand and we’ll share more news when we have a deal.”
Osmond’s show will be produced by Los Angeles-based ATI and there will be cooking segments and celebrity interviews. She had tried to host a day-time talk show a few years ago, but it was ultimately cancelled.
The Hallmark Channel is rumored to have cancelled “The Martha Stewart Show” due to high production costs and the lease for her expensive studio in Manhattan expires in the spring.
Stewart is also in the news because Macy’s Inc slapped her with a lawsuit on Monday for breach of contract. Macy’s says that Martha Stewart Living granted it exclusive rights to manufacture and sell certain products in a 2006, but in December rival J.C. Penney announced plans to open shops within its stores that will sell Martha Stewart goods.
