Nobody was more moved by Joy Behar‘s decision to step back from The View than her three co-hosts. The longtime panelist, 77, announced in a pre-taped segment on the March 13 episode of the talk show that she wouldn’t be taping at least next week’s episodes. “I think I’m going to stay home for awhile and socially distance myself. I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” she told Sunny Hostin, 51, Whoopi Goldberg, 64, and Meghan McCain, 35. “I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there. The number makes me dizzy.” Joy does not have coronavirus, but with the urging of her daughter, she’s not taking any chances. She stressed that her doctor said she’s fine, but she’s After next week, Joy will determine when she’ll return.
Her co-hosts weren’t emotional, but were very supportive of Joy’s decision. Meghan, her usual sparring partner told Joy that she wasn’t overreacting by taking their precaution. “I think it’s always better to be cautious than be sorry. I understand why you’re anxious,” she said. “But if you feel like after even half a day that you’re ready to come back, do it.” Whoopi and Sunny chimed it to agree. Before they moved on to the latest political hot topic of the day, Joy asked the women if they’ll miss her. They all paused before saying “yes” and laughing.
The View followed the lead of many daytime and nighttime talk shows this past week, taping without an audience. It was eerie for The View, which starts with Whoopi telling the audience “welcome to The View!” repeatedly. The camera panned to empty bleachers. As of now, Meghan, Sunny, and Whoopi will continue to tape the talk show in Joy’s absence, but there’s a possibility that could change. The night before Joy’s announcement, other NYC-based shows, including The Wendy Williams Show, The Late Show, The Tonight Show, and Late Night announced that they’ll be on hiatus indefinitely due to coronavirus precautions.
Broadway shut down all productions through April 12, and giant films like Mulan, F9, and A Quiet Place Part II are pushing back release dates. Shows like Riverdale and Grey’s Anatomy are temporarily halting production. Experts from the CDC and WHO have recommended social distancing as methods of preventing the spread of coronavirus. With more than 1500 cases of the life-threatening disease, and over 130,000 worldwide, COVID-19 has officially been classified as a global pandemic. The elderly, like Joy, and the immunocompromised are especially at risk if they contract the virus.
The View will look much different without Joy, one of the show’s original co-hosts. Joy joined the talk show at its inception, in 1995, and left in 2013. After several appearances as a guest co-host, she officially re-joined The View in 2015. The opinionated former comedian often spars with Meghan over their political views — Joy, a diehard liberal, and Meghan, an ultra-conservative. During one memorable fight, Meghan even called Joy a b*tch during a tense conversation about Donald Trump in June 2019.
