Joy Behar is taking a short break from her co-hosting duties on The View while she travels to Europe for a new theater project. The announcement was made on the May 26 episode of the show’s behind-the-scenes podcast, Behind the Table, hosted by producer Brian Teta. During the conversation, Teta told Behar that it would be her last podcast appearance for a while because she would not be on the show the following week. Behar explained that she had already pre-recorded weekend episodes of The View, so viewers would still see her on those broadcasts even while she was away.
Behar said she is flying to Paris and then traveling to London after a week to begin work on her play, My First Ex-Husband, at the Boulevard Theatre in London’s West End. She described the production as featuring herself and Jackie Hoffman as two American women alongside two British actresses. The play was written by Behar and had previously run Off-Broadway before moving overseas.
While in Paris, Behar plans to spend time writing in cafés and visiting major art exhibitions. She said she hopes to see the Henri Matisse exhibit at the Grand Palais and the Alexander Calder exhibit at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Her brief absence from The View comes as the show continues its long-running format with a rotating lineup of guest and substitute hosts.
To fill in for Behar during her hiatus, the show has scheduled several guest appearances. Former The View co-host Sheryl Underwood will appear for a couple of days, media analyst Kara Swisher will also step in for some episodes, and Ana Navarro will take on extra appearances beyond her usual Monday and Friday schedule. Whoopi Goldberg will also appear on Fridays, which is normally her day off.
Behar has been a major presence on The View for decades. She was one of the show’s original co-hosts and remained on the panel for the first 16 years, from 1997 through 2013. After a two-year absence, she returned in 2015 and has remained a key part of the program ever since. The current season is the show’s 29th.
The current lineup of The View includes Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin. Behar’s temporary departure is expected to be brief, with her return tied to the completion of her overseas theater commitments.
