Aisha Tyler joins 'Criminal Minds'

Los Angeles: Actress Aisha Tyler has joined the upcoming 11th season of "Criminal Minds" in a recurring role.

Tyler, 44, has signed on with the hit procedural following the departure of one star (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and the forthcoming temporary absence of another (AJ Cook), reported Entertainment Weekly.

Both Hewitt and Cook are pregnant, and Hewitt has opted to leave the show after one season while Cook is going on maternity leave.

"The Archers" actress and current The Talk co-host will play Dr Tara Lewis, a psychologist with an eye on forensic psychology and its application toward the criminal justice system.

In the new season, Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) interviews several candidates in an effort to replace Kate Callahan (Hewitt).

Dr Lewis proves to be the best applicant and ends up helping out the BAU team in an investigation.