Joy Behar is stepping away from The View — but fans can breathe easy, because this is not a permanent goodbye. 💙
The 83-year-old comedian and longtime co-host is taking a planned two-week break from the ABC daytime show so she can travel to Europe and perform in her play My First Ex-Husband. Behar herself has pushed back on calling it a “hiatus,” explaining that she is not taking time off to rest, but heading overseas for work.
The fan-favourite host revealed her plans on The View’s companion podcast Behind the Table, telling listeners she would first fly to Paris before travelling to London, where the production will be staged at the Boulevard Theatre in the West End. She is set to appear alongside Jackie Hoffman, with two British actresses also joining the production.
For viewers who have watched Joy spar, joke and deliver razor-sharp one-liners on The View for decades, her absence will no doubt feel strange. She has been part of the show since its launch in 1997, apart from a two-year break after leaving in 2013 before returning in 2015. That makes her the longest-serving co-host in the programme’s history.
But this latest departure is less “farewell” and more “curtain up.” 🎭
My First Ex-Husband first premiered Off-Broadway in New York in February 2025. The comedy play, written by Joy, is built around stories of love, divorce, relationships and the messy, hilarious truths that come with romantic history. It gives Behar a chance to step back into theatre while still doing what she does best: turning painful, awkward and deeply human experiences into laughter.
While Joy is away from the Hot Topics table, viewers will see some familiar replacements. Comedian Sheryl Underwood and tech journalist Kara Swisher are among those expected to fill in, while Ana Navarro will also appear during the rotation. Whoopi Goldberg, who usually takes Fridays off, is also expected to step in on Fridays during Joy’s absence.
That lineup means the show will continue with plenty of personality, humour and debate even without one of its original voices. Sheryl brings her own comic timing and daytime TV experience, while Kara Swisher adds a sharp, media-savvy perspective. Still, there is no replacing Joy’s particular blend of sarcasm, blunt honesty and old-school comic instinct. ✨
The timing of her break comes after a year in which viewers have paid close attention to Joy’s health and absences. In January, she missed several episodes due to illness, and last November she was absent after injuring her foot. PEOPLE noted that her previous foot injury was caused by dropping an iPad.
That history may explain why some fans reacted with concern when reports first framed her latest absence as an “extended leave.” But Joy quickly made clear that this break is planned, work-related and temporary. Entertainment Weekly reported that she clarified on air that the upcoming two weeks should not be treated as a dramatic hiatus, because she is heading to London to work on her play.
In typical Joy fashion, even the clarification came with humour. When Sara Haines joked that a hiatus usually means someone stops working, Joy leaned into the moment and asked whether her co-hosts were going to miss her. The answer from the table was exactly what fans would expect: yes, of course they will. ❤️
Joy’s expected return date has not been officially locked in publicly, but multiple outlets have reported that she is expected back around mid-June.
For now, The View will carry on with rotating voices, while Joy takes her wit across the Atlantic. And in many ways, this move feels perfectly Joy Behar: unexpected, funny, bold and entirely on her own terms.
After nearly three decades of daytime TV, Joy is proving she is still not finished surprising people. She may be leaving the table for a little while, but she is not stepping out of the spotlight.
She is simply trading one stage for another. 🎭💙
