Comedian Joy Behar has been on The View since its debut in 1997, though not consecutively. The vocal panelist was given her walking papers in 2013, only to return to the table in 2015. Despite being off the air for two years, Behar had no problem keeping busy.
Joy Behar had a full plate during her hiatus from ‘The View’
Though Behar had gotten used to her Monday through Friday gig on The View after 16 years at the “Hot Topics” table, she quickly adjusted to having some time on her hands. The former standup comic relished being able to pursue other projects.
“I loved it,” Behar told TV Insider in 2018 of her two years away from The View. “I did. Suddenly, I had all this free time. I could do whatever I wanted to do. I pursued more creative sides to my life.”
Behar embarked on both personal and professional endeavors, where she was able to enjoy her time without the rigors of a daytime talk show.
“I wrote a solo show for myself and performed it down at the Cherry Lane Theatre,” she said. “I started writing more plays – I had more dinner parties and I traveled more.”
Joy Behar had reasons for returning to ‘The View’
While Behar reveled in her time off, she initially wasn’t thrilled when she heard the news that she was being taken off The View.
“I had no clue really,” Behar told Ramin Setoodah in his book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View. “They knew they were making a mistake… I had been planning to get out of there. It’s very hard to give up a high-paying job. It’s like leaving a marriage.”
Behar was wooed back with a promise of more talk of politics and a higher paycheck.
“When they asked me to come back, I thought I better do this because the country’s in trouble and I wanted to have my voice be heard,” she explained. “I was told that I should come back because the show was going to be even more political.”
Joy Behar credited ‘unpredictability’ for part of ‘The View’s’ success
The View has become known for its contentious debates at the table, especially between Behar and conservative co-host Meghan McCain. Behar attributed the show’s high ratings to the spontaneity on the air.
“You really can’t predict what we’re going to say,” she explained. “We can plan the topics and even questions for the guests, but we don’t know what’s going to come out of us. It’s a live show. One reason we’re very popular is because of the unpredictability of what we’re going to say. That’s why the show has existed this long. We don’t take prisoners, if you get my meaning.”
While rumors of tension among the co-hosts often make headlines, Behar insisted that grudges don’t last long on the panel.
“It can get a little icy, but then it passes,” The View co-host shared. “I’m telling you the truth. The iciness is because we’ve had this sparky conversation and it’ll veer into the personal [side], and you’ll get annoyed. It’s chill, but then, the next day you forget about it. That’s the way we roll here.”
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