Jennie Garth is continuing the Beverly Hills, 90210 rewatch podcast she created with Tori Spelling, but she is not pretending that completing the project without her longtime friend feels easy.
Spelling confirmed during an Instagram Live with former costar Brian Austin Green that she had left 90210MG to focus on other projects.
The announcement came while the podcast was revisiting Season 8, leaving Garth and producer Amy Sugarman to move into the show’s final two seasons without one of its original hosts.
Garth addressed the unexpected change in the podcast’s July 31 episode, acknowledging her disappointment while supporting Spelling’s decision to step away.
Garth Said She Is Sad They Will Not Finish Together
Garth did not disguise the emotional impact of losing the person with whom she launched the rewatch in 2020. “I’m sad that she’s not finishing this out with us,” Garth said. “We started this together.”
She explained that both feelings could exist at once, disappointment that Spelling would not complete the project and happiness that her former cohost was making the choice she believed was right for her.
Garth said she was excited for Spelling to “choose herself” and pursue the work she now wants to do. Sugarman said the remaining team could feel “bummed and disappointed” while still supporting Spelling’s future plans.
Spelling Made the Decision Approximately Two Weeks Earlier
Sugarman said Spelling informed the podcast team of her decision approximately two weeks before the exit became public. She described it as “100 percent her decision” and said Spelling had already been absent from the show for a period of time for several reasons.
Spelling said during the Instagram Live that she wanted to pursue other projects and encouraged listeners to continue following Garth’s recaps. Entertainment Weekly reported that Spelling’s representatives did not respond to its request for additional comment about the exit.
The Podcast Still Has Seasons 9 and 10 to Revisit
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Garth confirmed that the rewatch will continue after the current Season 8 coverage and said she was excited about what the team had planned for Seasons 9 and 10. The remaining episodes are expected to feature special guests, giving former cast members and others connected to the series opportunities to join the discussion as Garth approaches the finale.
Beverly Hills, 90210 aired on Fox from 1990 through 2000. Garth and Spelling appeared throughout all 10 seasons as Kelly Taylor and Donna Martin.
The Exit Ends a Nearly Six-Year Podcast Partnership
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Garth and Spelling launched the podcast in October 2020, approximately 30 years after Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered. They presented the project as both a television rewatch and an extension of a friendship that had survived decades of professional changes, marriages, motherhood and periods of distance.
Garth will now reach the series finale without the costar who helped begin the rewatch and shared many of its most personal stories. Garth said she remained enthusiastic about the final seasons and the guests who would help her complete them.