ENTERTAINMENTJoy Behar Claims 'The View' 'Begged Me to Come Back' After Barbara Walters Fired Her Twice: 'They Regretted It'
Joy Behar was an original host when 'The View' first launched in 1997.
Sept. 11 2025, Published 10:56 a.m. ET
Though Joy Behar is one of the most notable names at the table on The View, she was actually axed from the talk show on two separate occasions.
The star discussed the firings on the Wednesday, September 10, episode of Watch What Happens Live.
Barbara Walters 'Regretted' Firing Joy Behar
Joy Behar said Barbara Walters 'regretted' firing her from 'The View' on two different occasions.
"Barbara [Walters] fired me at one point. She fired me twice, actually," Behar spilled. "One of the times that she fired me was just because they decided to fire me. It had something to do with the Democrat and a Republican. That’s what they told me."
"So, she sacked me, right? So we're planning to tell the story on the air and during the commercial break, she says to me, ‘Tell them you changed your mind.’ I said, ‘Barbara, you just fired me. How am I supposed to change my mind?’" Behar recalled. "She regretted it."
"They didn’t just bring me back. They begged me to come back," Behar declared of her return. "Let’s be clear here."
"How about they broke the bank to get you back," noted host Andy Cohen, to which the comedian replied, "Thank you."
Behar joined the show in its first season in 1997 and left in 2013.
"It seemed like the right time," she explained of her departure in a 2013 interview. "You reach a point when you say to yourself, ‘Do I want to keep doing this?’ There are other things on my plate I want to do — I’ve been writing a play, I’ve been neglecting my standup."
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Behar's 2013 Departure
Barbara Walters, the show's creator, was a host from 1997 to 2014.
At the time, the TV personality said she would "miss everyone" she worked with, including Walters.
"It is a smart talk show because somebody of her stature is leading the conversation; Barbara was one of the main reasons I took that job," she shared.
She then made several guest appearances, and in 2015, Behar returned full time.
Walters — the creator of the hit program — left the show in 2014 and passed away at age 91 in 2022.
Cancelation Rumors
The series is now in its 29th season.
The ABC series kicked off Season 29 on Monday, September 8.
The current casts features Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines and Ana Navarro.
While there were rumors about the show getting the axe after receiving backlash for shading President Donald Trump, Griffin recently dismissed the gossip.
"A lot of my friends thought we were canceled. I’m still employed. People love us. I have seen the fansters, I have seen how we packed out a live studio audience, and people want to come and see us," she insisted in an interview. "But there are people who love to hate us, and to be honest, as long as you are tuning in, I don’t personally mind. From its inception, the show was made [to be] iconic."
