Joy Behar, the veteran comedian and mainstay of the ABC daytime talk show “The View,” returned to her seat at the “Hot Topics” table on Tuesday morning, marking the end of a nearly month-long hiatus. Behar, 84, had been sidelined since early October following a serious physical accident, and she used her first day back to provide a candid, and at times graphic, account of the injury.
The co-host’s re-entry was a high-energy event in the studio, set to the tune of Elton John’s 1974 hit “The Bitch Is Back.” Accompanied by fellow panelist Sara Haines, who provided physical support as they walked onto the set, Behar was greeted with a sustained standing ovation from the audience. The warm reception visibly moved the veteran broadcaster, though she quickly pivoted to her signature wit.
“I see that you played ‘The Bitch Is Back.’ You should’ve played, ‘God Save the Queen,'” Behar joked after taking her seat.
Behar revealed that her absence, which began on October 1, was the result of a “bad” fall that occurred within the production building. She described going down “hard,” an accident that resulted in a dislocated shoulder. The recovery was far from simple; Behar characterized the subsequent pain as “worse than childbirth” and noted that she felt the void of the panel’s camaraderie while she was confined to her home.
Because of the injury, Behar missed several significant milestones, including the celebration of her 84th birthday. During her time away, moderator Whoopi Goldberg kept viewers informed with frequent health updates. Goldberg notably used a birthday segment to dispel rumors about Behar’s condition, joking that while the host shares a birthday with Vladimir Putin, she had not contracted “the Russian plague” and was simply taking the necessary time to heal.
Last week, Goldberg shared a direct message from Behar that highlighted the realities of the recovery process at her age. “If I was still 21, I’d have bounced back the next day,” Behar wrote in the message. “But, since I’m an old bat, recuperating takes a bit longer. I plan to be back next week to fill everyone in on all the gory details.”
Behar’s extended recovery required several logistical shifts for the program. On the initial day of her absence, October 1, Sunny Hostin stepped into a rare moderator role as both Behar and Goldberg were away from the table. Goldberg was simultaneously working on an upcoming Netflix ensemble dramedy titled “Women Like Us.” To maintain the show’s chemistry during the following weeks, Goldberg adjusted her typical schedule to appear on Fridays—a day she normally takes off—while regular panelist Ana Navarro increased her frequency at the table.
The return also addressed recent speculation regarding the show’s cast. On Monday, a spokesperson for the program refuted a report claiming that producers were considering a “panel shake-up” to make the show “less shrill” and more inviting to a broader audience. The representative stated there was “no truth” to the claims that Behar was being considered for an exit.
Even while recovering off-camera, Behar made headlines for remarks regarding the current internal culture of the show. She described the current cast dynamic as “very good,” noting that “nobody’s mean over there” compared to past iterations of the panel. These comments were widely interpreted as a reference to former co-host Meghan McCain, who left the program in 2021 following a series of on-air disputes. Behar had famously admitted in 2021 that she did not miss McCain during the latter’s maternity leave, and McCain reportedly responded to the most recent “mean girls” comment on social media earlier this week.
As the Tuesday broadcast continued, Goldberg emphasized the tight-knit bond shared by the current group. “We’re together a lot, and so when one of us is not around, you feel it,” she told the audience. Behar is expected to remain in her regular rotation on the panel moving forward.
