Lori Greiner's Dream Replacement for Mark Cuban on 'Shark Tank' Revealed (Exclusive)

Lori Greiner, one of the esteemed Sharks on Shark Tank, shared her thoughts on the possibility of Mark Cuban's departure from the show during an exclusive interview at THR’s Women In Entertainment gala in Los Angeles.

 

Walking the red carpet at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Greiner engaged with ET’s Denny Directo, responding to Cuban’s recent statements about leaving the show.

 

Remaining tight-lipped about the situation, Greiner mentioned, “You never know. I really can’t even talk about it. We’re in season 15, and his announcement was for another year from now.”

 

In a recent podcast conversation on Showtime's All the Smoke, Cuban disclosed his plan to exit Shark Tank after season 16, stating, “This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year. So I got one more year to go.” He expressed that after a decade and a half on the series, he feels "it's time."

 

However, Greiner pointed out, “We still have season 16, and that would be 2025, right? It’s 2024, that would be 2025, I don’t know. It’s so far out. We still have [him] for a year, at least, right?” She acknowledged that announcements sometimes trigger speculation.

 

While Greiner seems uncertain about Cuban's departure, she revealed her dream replacement for the iconic Shark – none other than Oprah Winfrey. “I’ve wanted Oprah for years!” Greiner exclaimed. “So what can I say? Let’s manifest that! Yes, world, manifest that!”

 

Reflecting on his time with Shark Tank, Cuban shared on the All the Smoke podcast, “I feel like in doing Shark Tank all these years, we’ve trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs that, if somebody can come from Iowa or Sacramento or wherever, and show up on Shark Tank and show their business and get a deal, it’s going to inspire generations of kids.”

 

Cuban added humorously, “We’ve got people coming on and saying, ‘I watched you when I was 10 years old.’ I’m like, f**k. I’ve invested in, I don’t know how many hundreds of companies.”

 

Cuban, who initially appeared as a guest Shark in season 2 and joined the show full time in season 3, has been a consistent presence on Shark Tank. The current season, Season 15, kicked off in September.

 

As the speculation regarding Cuban's departure looms, fans and fellow Sharks eagerly await to see if Lori Greiner's wish for Oprah Winfrey to join the tank will become a reality in the coming seasons. The entrepreneurial landscape of Shark Tank may witness a new era with fresh faces in the investor lineup.