Barbara Walters announced tonight that she is retiring next summer. She told ABC News, “I am very happy with my decision and look forward to a wonderful and special year ahead both on ‘The View’ and with ABC News. I created ‘The View’ and am delighted it will last beyond my leaving it.†Then when she talked about what she will be doing after she says goodbye to television, “I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain,†Then she added, “I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and OK, some men too — who will be taking my place.â€
But before she says her goodbye, we will still be able to see her anchor and report for ABC News, appear on The View and anchor specials throughout the year including a 20 Years of 10 Most Fascinating People in December, an Oscars special, and a May career retrospective.
With all of that coming up, I am not sure if I will miss her yet. But what I do know, is what an amazing career the 83 year old has had. One any newsperson would dream to have.
UPDATE: Here is Barbara Walters talking about her retirement on The View:
Just a day after Joy Behar announced she was leaving The View, comes word from Us Weekly that Eliasbeth Hasselbeck is also out of the daytime talk show after being on it for 9 years. Personally I think it is a mistake because even though everyone hated her, she made the show more exciting. You never knew who she was going to fight with and that is good for ratings.
I don’t know who the show is going to get to replace these two ladies and most likely Barbara Walters, and I am not sure it will survive the changes for long. I don’t get why if you have a good thing, you go around and change it. It’s rarely is for the better.
It is Sweet 16 and out for Joy Behar because Deadline is reporting that she is leaving The View when this season ends. Is anyone going to miss her? I always thought she was the most useless person on the show and her voice is like chalk on a chalkboard to me. So I say good riddance!
Barbara Walters was back on The View this morning for the first time since mid-January and she explained her absence. We all know that she fell and banged her head the weekend of the Inauguration and while she was at the hospital she was diagnosed with Chicken Pox.
She told her co-hosts that she went to a party in Florida earlier in January and hugged a well known actor who will remain nameless. That mysterious actor discovered after the party that he had Shingles. The newslady never had Chicken Pox, and people who haven’t can get the viral infection from someone who has Shingles. So now we are left to wonder who he is, I know I am curious. Let’s start guessing??? Brad Pitt? George Clooney? Andy Garcia? Sylvester Stallone?
Then Walters explained it wasn’t Chicken Pox keeping her off the air, but a concussion similar to the one that Hillary Clinton had. Doctors put her on bed rest until she was better. And now over a month later, she is better. And we are happy to have her back!
Barbara Walter was hospitalized 10 days ago after she fell and cut her head, and she has remained there with a low grade fever ever since. Today on The View Whoopi Goldberg revealed what has been ailing her, she said 83 year old newswoman has the Chicken Pox. That’s right the octogenarian has the childhood viral infection. The doctors want her to rest and according to Whoopi she is not allowed any visitors at the time. No word yet when she will be released and back on the ABC talk show. Hopefully she will be better very soon.
It appears she is on the road to recovery because why else would her co-hosts joke about it. Joy Behar said that is what she gets for interviewing Honey Boo Boo and Elisabeth Hasslebeck said she thought she was pregnant. With friends like that, who needs Rosie O’Donnell or Star Jones?
BTW I, like Barbara Walters, have never had the dreaded Chicken Pox, but I got the vaccine a few years ago. I am surprised her doctor didn’t do the same.
