12 People You Forgot Were Panelists on 'The View': Jenny McCarthy, Candace Cameron Bure and More
Abby Huntsman – 2 Seasons
Abby Huntsman started her View stint in 2018 after working for Fox News for years. However, it did not take her long to leave the show due to her desire to help her father, Jon Huntsman Jr., with his campaign in 2020 to become Utah governor.
However, she eventually told People that her exit was primarily because the job affected her well-being and quality of life.
"I don't talk much about that time, and I won't, but the decision that I made was probably the best decision I could have made for my life, for my mental health, for my happiness, for my family," Abby continued.
Candace Cameron Bure – 2 Seasons
Candace Cameron Bure had a short-lived hosting gig from 2015 to 2016, during which she infamously had an exchange with Raven-Symoné over a bakery's decision not to service a gay wedding due to religious grounds.
The reason behind her exit was because she was struggling with work-life balance, especially amid the success of her other projects.
Debbie Matenopoulos – Less Than 2 Years
In 1997, Debbie Matenopoulos began her hosting career after graduating from college. At 22, she became the youngest member of The View and worked alongside the show's giants like Barbara Walters, who created the talk show on ABC.
She claimed after she departed from the show in 1999 that she was treated poorly during her stay, while former executive producer Bill Geddie said Matenopoulos was fired because of the ratings.
"I remember sitting there and all the blood rushing out of my head," she told Ramin Setoodah in his book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View. "I screwed this up so bad. All I wanted to do was be good for them. Of course I cried. I was so sad. These people were my friends. Here's the opportunity of a lifetime, and I blew it."
Jedediah Bila – 2 Seasons
The View searched for potential presenters who could give their thoughts during the 2016 election. Although the network tapped Jedediah Bila for the role, they thought her beliefs as a Libertarian rather than a Republican failed to offer the show and its viewers conservative principles.
"What you don't know about us, these ladies, we're friends," Bila said when the show announced her exit. "Sunny's texts, Sara, Whoopi, you're my inspiration. Joy, when I need comedic relief, this is where I go. So we're going to be friends no matter what."
Jenny McCarthy – 1 Season
Jenny McCarthy cut her View journey short due to the different controversies she ignited, including her support for the anti-vax movement. The former Playboy model enjoyed a hosting career from 2013 to 2014, and she called her firing "terribly unprofessional" as she stayed on the show because ABC told her they would keep her — but the network did not.
"Towards the end of the season, I was getting other offers to do shows, so my agent said, 'Will you let us know if this is working out, because it doesn't feel like it is, but let us know because we want to take these other jobs,' and they said, 'Yeah, she's fine, we're going to bring her back, we love her,'" she alleged. "It was all a lie, it was all a lie so we wouldn't take the next job."
Lisa Ling – 3 Seasons
Lisa Ling's career flourished after leaving The View in 2002.
Matenopoulos' successor only stayed for less than three years before being fired for allegedly failing to impress the viewers as much as other presenters did. Setoodeh told Salon in 2019 that her reserved personality caused a dip in ratings.
"I felt like I was doing as much as I could," Ling reportedly said of her work. "But at a certain point, it would upset people in my life when I would talk about them without permission."
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Michelle Collins – 1 Season
In 2015, Michelle Collins joined The View team and immediately left a positive impression for her sense of humor. But after a year, ABC executives fired her after initially shrinking her co-hosting duties due to her political tirades that left a bitter taste in the viewers' mouths.
Nicolle Wallace – 1 Season
In 2014, Nicole Wallace became part of The View and often clashed with other presenters like Rosie Perez and Rosie O'Donnell. She was fired in 2015 for not causing enough onscreen drama to increase the show's views.
"I had never had one note from anybody inside the entire organization during the entire season. No one said a word to me," she opened up during her first-ever interview with Variety after the firing. "Maybe I should have seen it coming. Not after a single show, a single Hot Topic or a single interview. It was like being invisible. But not in an unpleasant way.
Paula Faris – 3 Seasons
For three years, Paula Faris divided her time as a The View host and Good Morning America anchor. After leaving the show in 2018, she revealed that she left her post as she wanted focus on herself following a challenging year due to a car crash, pneumonia and a miscarriage.
Raven-Symoné – 3 Seasons
Raven-Symoné announced her departure during a 2016 episode of The View following the controversies she stirred while on the show. One of her infamous issues was her decision not to denounce Rodner Figueroa's statement that Michelle Obama looked like a cast of Planet of the Apes.
"I don't think he was saying it racist," she expressed. "Not Michelle Obama. Michelle, don't fire me from this right now, but some people do look like animals. Is that rude?"
Rosie O'Donnell – Less Than 1 Season
Rosie O'Donnell had an on-again, off-again appearance on The View. She replaced Meredith Vieira in 2006 but left after less than a year following a heated exchange with Elisabeth Hasselbeck over the Iraq War.
She rejoined in 2014 but left again a few months later.
Rosie Perez – 1 Season
Rosie Perez's historic time on The View did not last long.
After presenting for one season, she told the audience that she stepped down to focus on acting.
"I'm excited for what is to come, but I am so sad to leave especially these two ladies," she said, referring to Whoopi Goldberg and Wallace.