TELEVISION personality Joy Behar garnered fame after signing on to co-host The View in 1997.
Over 20 years later, Joy still holds her position on The View, which is why fans couldn’t help but notice her absence from the long-running talk series.
Since The View first premiered in August 1997, Joy Behar was introduced as one of the regular panelists.
Behar is the only co-host left from the original lineup that consisted of herself, Debbie Matenopoulos, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, and creator Barbara Walters.
Throughout The View’s 25th season on the air, audiences tuned in to the program to see Behar express her thoughts about the latest hot-button topics.
Following the show’s stint in The Bahamas, fans were quick to note that two of the four regular co-hosts were absent from the broadcast.
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On July 12, 2022, guest co-hosts Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin were found taking over the seats on the panel left vacant by Behar and fellow regular Sara Haines.
On Twitter, one fan wrote: “Where is Sara Haines and Joy Behar? Please don’t tell me that #Joy has retired!”
A second fan tweeted: “Where’s @JoyVBehar? I hate it when she’s not there. I hope she’s ok.”
“I am so enjoying the view without Joy sigh I never realized how calm and coherent #TheView could be,” expressed another.
At the beginning of the broadcast, co-panelist Whoopi Goldberg addressed Behar’s absence.
The Color Purple actress shared with the audience: “Welcome to The View.”
“We are back here at home because we was gone for a little while. We was in the Bahamas.”
Whoopi added: “We have to tell you, Sara is out with Covid.”
“Joy does not have Covid, but she’s not in today. She’s taking the day off.”
Although Whoopi explained her longtime co-star’s vacancy from the series, the team at The View did not reveal how soon Behar would be back.
At the beginning of July 2022, reports circulated from a number of different outlets that claimed Joy Behar planned on leaving The View before her birthday in October and retiring.
However, on Tuesday, July 5, a rep for Joy told the New York Post that the reports were “fake news.”
Her rep also confirmed that the star’s contract on the program does not expire until 2025.
Regarding any future plans to retire, Joy gave details about her future to Variety.
In April 2020, the TV anchor said: “I have a three-year contract.”
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t leave if I want to, because they can’t really do anything to me at this point.”
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The broadcaster further stated: “I don’t see myself staying for more [time]. That’s it! I could be wrong.
“But the chances of that happening…You know, time marches on. I’m not a kid.”
