'Not True': Joy Behar's 'The View' Contract Renewal Not Being Discussed Despite Exit Rumors
End of an era? Comic Joy Behar, the last original cast member on The View, isn't ready to say sayonara to her daytime job despite rumors her reign on the popular show is ending, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A sensational report suggested ABC won't be renewing Behar's contract and the network is already searching for her replacement — but sources told this outlet that's "not true" as "it's too early" for executives to even be discussing it.
"Joy, who is set to turn 82 later this year, has been informed her current contract will not be renewed when it expires in 2025," an insider said to the National Enquirer. "The landscape of television and viewership is shifting, and The View recognizes the need to evolve. The search for fresh, diverse voices is already underway."
However, RadarOnline.com is told there's no truth that Behar is ready to take her final bow on the popular daytime talk show, and viewers seem to agree. Ratings prove fans still enjoy her banter with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.
The View ranked number one in both households and total viewers over other daytime network talk shows at the end of January, according to an ABC press release.
The ladies' syndicated talk show swept the competition, including NBC's Today Third Hour, Today with Hoda & Jenna, NBC News Daily, and CBS' The Talk. Retirement seemed the furthest thing on Behar's mind last year when she joked about life after her daily hosting gig.
"Maybe when I leave The View I should become a social media person," she joked, revealing her beloved pooch is the true star of the family.
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Behar also revealed her new interest in directing after starring in the play Bonkers in the Boroughs.
"I have a director and I'm watching the way she does it because I'm gonna do that next. I'm gonna direct something next because I think I can do that," she explained on a podcast called The View: Behind The Table.
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The View has been okay with letting her explore her interests. She was noticeably absent from the program for a week in November, with Whoopi explaining why.
"So, Joy is not here today because she is preparing for the premiere of her play, Bonkers in the Boroughs at the New York Comedy Festival," the actress-turned-TV host said, adding no one wanted her to feel stressed by juggling both jobs.