'The View' In Turmoil: Talk Show In Dire Need Of Republican Co-Host, As No One Will Join Because Of 'Bullies' Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg & Sunny Hostin
Dec. 27 2021, Published 2:39 p.m. ET
The search to find a conservative co-host to sit alongside The View's liberal stars – Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin – is proving to be a difficult one.
And one of the big issues is there might be some truth to the claim that Meghan McCain – the political program's most recent Republican alum – made upon her August departure: the talk show is allegedly full of bullies.
But McCain wasn't the first or the only conservative star to make that accusation; Nicole Wallace, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Abby Huntsman have all exited the program with similar complaints.
It's been reported that the alleged mistreatment goes beyond the show's stars, as ABC executives have also been called out in the past, specifically for seeming to favor the Democratic co-hosts.
In fact, sources have claimed producers tried to tap young libertarian Kat Timpf but that she turned them down because of the show's alleged reputation for treating right-leaning co-hosts poorly.
"Our plans are on track as we continue to look for the right person to join our panel of smart, dynamic women," said a View spokesperson, per Politico. "We look forward to welcoming guest co-hosts for return appearances and introducing new names into the mix in the new year."
But it's been six months since this hunt began, and the aggravation is reportedly settling in.
According to Politico, Behar, Goldberg and Hostin have upped the pressure to pick McCain's successor, allegedly informing executive producer Brian Teta that it's disruptive to the flow of the show to have to keep introducing new guest hosts week after week.
When McCain left, Teta told The Wrap that he was "taking a little time" to find her replacement. Since then, ABC has tried out a variety of conservative fill-ins, including S. E. Cupp, Alyssa Farah, Morgan Ortagus, Condoleezza Rice, Carly Fiorina and Gretchen Carlson – but none have seemed to stick.
"Right now, we still do need a really conservative voice," Hostin told New York Magazine just last month. "And we need someone that's not duplicative of anyone else on the panel."
Sources close to the show have said that producers would not consider a Republican who denies the 2020 election results, embraces the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, or is seen as giving too much attention to conspiracy theories. At the same time, this person must have credibility with mainstream Republicans, many of whom still support Donald Trump.
Until showrunners find their "unicorn," as one former staffer put it, guests hosts will continue to fill in.
Politico reports that Farah will return in January and that the show will tap other big names, like Bari Weiss and Lisa Ling, while the network continues to conduct focus groups on the audience's reaction.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
