The View called in emergency reinforcements after navigating a rare twist of three cohost absences on the latest live episode.
Moderator Whoopi Goldberg began Tuesday’s broadcast with a special announcement (no, not the kind that has, in the past, involved a Tootsie in her mouth or the act of sitting on her glasses) confirming the absence of Joy Behar, Sara Haines, and conservative star Alyssa Farah Griffin.
“If you’re wondering what’s going on, there’s nothing wrong with your television set. Joy is not here, Sara is not here, and Alyssa is not here today. So, returning to the table — because this is the kind of gal she is — is our former cohost, Abby Huntsman!” Goldberg said as the audience cheered Huntsman’s reunion with her colleagues, as the conservative former cohost (and daughter of former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.) smiled.
“I got the call yesterday and I think I was in my sweatpants cleaning up mac and cheese off the floor,” Huntsman, who left the panel in 2020, said. “[Producer] Brian was like, ‘We’re in a pinch,’ I’m like alright, well, if Whoopi’s there and Sunny’s there and Rachel’s there. I will say, though, it’s kind of like déjà vu. Trump’s president again. What’s changed since I was here last?”
Goldberg said that she also feels the time warp creeping back.
“I feel like maybe I’m just re-going through menopause again. It’s like having a period again,” the 69-year-old Oscar winner said, before further introducing the show’s second guest cohost, Bachelor and Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay.
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Both Huntsman and Lindsay filled in for Behar, Haines, and Griffin, with Griffin revealing on Monday’s Behind the Table podcast that she would likely miss out on the episode due to an appointment for her ongoing IVF treatment.
Goldberg told the audience on Monday’s episode — the first since a temporary hiatus for the Thanksgiving holiday — that Haines was sick. While Behar was also absent on Monday (she typically has Mondays off every week), a reason wasn’t given for her disappearance on Tuesday.
As the broadcast continued, the unexpected shake-up seemed to energize the panel — and the audience. With three voices missing, Huntsman and Lindsay stepped seamlessly into the chaos, sparking new chemistry and off-the-cuff moments that longtime viewers weren’t expecting.
Behind the scenes, however, sources say the sudden triple absence caused a “full scramble” at ABC Studios late Monday night, with producers making rapid-fire calls to secure reliable guest cohosts who could handle political tension, celebrity interviews, and unpredictable live discussion. Huntsman, known for her candor and calm under pressure, was reportedly at the top of the list.
Back at the table, Sunny Hostin joked that the day felt like “a multiverse episode of The View,” while staffers rushed to adjust show segments originally built around the missing cohosts. Despite the upheaval, the episode maintained its signature mix of sharp commentary and spontaneous humor — something Goldberg praised as she closed out the hour.
Insiders hint that this won’t be the last time emergency fill-ins are needed, with the show juggling health concerns, personal commitments, and the demanding schedules of its high-profile cast. But if today proved anything, it’s that The View knows how to turn chaos into compelling television — even when half the table vanishes overnight.
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