NEWS'The View' Cancels Halloween Costume Episode for Third Year in a Row Amid FCC Drama and Money Trouble Rumors
The co-hosts of 'The View' have long worn elaborate Halloween costumes.
Oct. 25 2026, Published 12:51 p.m. ET
The View’s yearly Halloween costume extravaganza has been a fan-favorite for decades, ever since it was started under original moderator Barbara Walters’ reign. Still, recent schedules from ABC reveal that it’ll be skipped for the third time in a row this year.
The show’s 30th season has been the subject of severe budget cuts as ABC execs nervously eye how Donald Trump’s FCC has been targeting the show.
Past Episodes Included Disney, Stephen King References
Producer Brian Teta said the logistics of the Halloween episode made it too complicated to stage.
Viewers often looked forward to the episodes, in which co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin would often dress in an increasingly bizarre series of costumes, sometimes with themes such as cartoon characters and Stephen King creations.
Last time around, in 2023, the theme was Disney. Haines donned facial prosthetics to play Carl from Up!, while Hostin painted herself blue to be an Avatar character.
But the time and expense made it an easy target to trim costs.
'It Was an Easy Place to Save Money'
The Halloween episodes of 'The View' are often huge undertakings.
"Those Halloween shows cost a fortune. The costumes, makeup, sets, special effects and extra crew hours all add up," one source told a journalist. "It was an easy place to save money."
The show first skipped Halloween in 2024 because of its proximity to the presidential election, producer Brian Teta revealed at the time.
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'These Shows Are a Huge Undertaking'
Whoopi Goldberg has worn elaborate costumes such as on 'The Lion King,' but won't be doing so on Halloween on 'The View.'
“I’m going to announce something today that’s going to upset a portion of the audience,” Teta told Behar on the "Behind the Table" podcast. “This year, because it’s only a few days before the election and we need to be live, the hosts are not going to dress up for Halloween.”
Teta blamed logistics at the time. “The problem is, those shows are a huge undertaking; we have to do them on tape,” he said. “Part of what our show has become and what it is right now, we can’t be on tape three days before the election.”
'The Rocky Horror Show' Will be on Hand
The cast of 'The Rocky Horror Show' will appear on The View's' Halloween episode.
The episode won’t be completely bereft of Halloween haunts. They’ll still be doing their popular "Boo Are You Wearing?" segment spotlighting children’s costumes. Plus, the cast of Broadway’s The Rocky Horror Show will perform.
But anyone expecting to see Goldberg and Haines as Brad and Janet will be out of luck.
