Whoopi Goldberg had an unforgettable excuse for missing “The View” after the Fourth of July holiday.
When the daytime talk show returned on Monday, July 6, viewers immediately noticed Goldberg was absent from the moderator’s chair.
Co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin were joined by a last-minute guest host after several regular panelists were unable to make it to the studio.
Goldberg Is Stuck in Italy
“Hello, everybody. So you may be asking, ‘Why am I here on a Monday?’ I asked myself the same question,” Behar joked at the start of the show. “But Brian begged me to come in — on his knees, where he belongs. Why? Because we are down three cohosts today.”
Griffin added that the hosts were “dropping like flies,” prompting Behar to explain Goldberg’s unusual absence.
“Whoopi is using the old volcano excuse,” she quipped.
The show then played a video message from Goldberg, who revealed she was stranded in Sicily after Mount Etna erupted.
“I am in Sicily right now, and Mount Etna, who is one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today,” Goldberg said.
The Oscar winner, 70, appeared in good spirits despite the unexpected travel disruption.
“I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations,” she continued. “Well, I think my story just takes the cake. A volcano ate my homework!”
The eruption over the weekend disrupted travel throughout parts of Sicily, with major transportation routes affected as officials responded to increased volcanic activity.
Other Co-Hosts Were Out
Goldberg wasn’t the only co-host missing from Monday’s broadcast.
Behar also explained that Ana Navarro remained in Miami because of severe weather.
“Ana is stuck in Miami because of weather. It’s always hot there, what’s the problem?” Behar joked.
Meanwhile, Sara Haines was unable to appear after dealing with storm damage at home.
“Sara is dealing with storm damage. How many people are dealing with storm damage? Anybody in this group? No, just Sara!” Behar added.
With three regular panelists unavailable, actress and comedian Michelle Buteau stepped in to help lead the show. Although she had originally been scheduled to appear as a guest, producers called her early Monday morning to fill the vacant seat.
Behar thanked Buteau for answering the unexpected request.
“We want to thank our special guest who was roused out of her sleep this morning at 6 a.m. to come in and help us: the actress and comedian, Michelle Buteau,” she said.
Buteau embraced the last-minute opportunity with her signature humor.
“The best booty call I’ve ever got,” she joked.
“Now, I’m a host! This is not how I thought it would happen, but I’m so glad it did. Hi everyone, welcome to The View! A volcano had to go off before you guys asked me to come here, I love it!”
While Goldberg’s absence made for an unusual start to the week, her video message reassured viewers that she was safe despite the travel delays. If all goes according to plan, the longtime moderator is expected to return to the table once flights out of Sicily resume and travel conditions improve.
