“The View’s” hot topics table looked very different during the series’ February 23rd episode.
Whoopi Goldberg, moderator of the daytime talk series, was not present for filming. Her chair was left empty alongside co-hosts Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, and guest panelist Amanda Carpenter.
So where was Goldberg? Fans quickly learned her absence was related to a historic winter snowstorm that pummeled the East Coast of the United States.
Whoopi Goldberg Didn’t Join ‘The View’ Cast For Filming
As Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, and Amanda Carpenter walked out to their set to the series’ theme song, “This Version,” fans noticed that Whoopi Goldberg wasn’t present. As she is typically the last woman out each day, nothing seemed amiss until the co-hosts sat down and it was clear Goldberg wasn’t there.
She soon dialed in remotely from her home, saying that she was “snowed in,” reported Entertainment Weekly. “Well, hello, hello, hello and welcome to The View, y’all! I’m coming to you remotely because of this crazy historic blizzard slamming the East Coast has snowed me in,” Goldberg explained.
She added, “We even told the audience to stay home. Look at it out there! It’s a little nutty!”
Longtime panelist Joy Behar was also absent from the day’s filming. However, Entertainment Weekly reported she is usually off on Mondays, so it appeared her absence was not due to the storm. Alyssa Farah Griffin is on maternity leave after the birth of her first son, Justin Patrick Griffin.
Goldberg concluded, “I have to tell you, we hope that everyone watching is safe from the storm that walloped a lot of the country this weekend. So, we actually have no audience today.”
How Long Has Whoopi Goldberg moderated ‘The View?’
Whoopi Goldberg has moderated “The View” since 2007, according to her ABC biography. She replaced former moderator Rosie O’Donnell in the role after the comedienne exited the show following a highly publicized 2007 on-air feud with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and tense contract negotiations with ABC.
She became an EGOT winner in 2002 after winning a Tony Award as a producer of the Broadway musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Goldberg won an Emmy Award for the documentary, “Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel” that same year.
The entertainer won a Grammy in 1986 for her comedy LP “Whoopi Goldberg — Original Broadway Show Recording.” In 1991, she became only the second woman of color to win an Oscar in the category of Best Supporting Actress for “Ghost.”
Joy Behar is the longest-serving panelist on the ABC daytime talk series. She joined during Season 1. Sara Haines joined the series in 2016 and co-hosted until 2018, returning to the series in 2020. Sunny Hostin came on board in 2016.
“The View” airs live, weekdays at 11 a.m ET on ABC.
