- - ‘The View’: Joy Behar Reacts to Fan Backlash Over Elisabeth Hasselbeck Returning

Martin HolmesFebruary 13, 2026 at 9:46 PM

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Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck - Steve Fenn / © ABC / courtesy everett collection

Elisabeth Hasselbeck will soon return to The View as a guest host, and fans are already sounding off about the controversial decision.

As previously announced, The View will be welcoming a series of conservative-leaning guest hosts to fill in for regular panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin, the former Trump White House staffer who is taking maternity leave after the birth of her first baby earlier this week.

The guest hosts include Savannah Chrisley, who will kick things off next week, Amanda Carpenter, Sheryl Underwood, Whitney Cummings, and former View co-host Abby Huntsman.

However, as show producer Brian Teta revealed on the Tuesday (February 10) episode of the Behind The Table podcast, no one has caused quite the reaction of Hasselbeck, who served as a permanent co-host from 2003 to 2013.

“We announced all these people coming on, and our fans have always had strong reactions to it, but there was a lot of reaction to Elisabeth Hasselbeck,” Teta told his co-host, View regular Joy Behar. “Which surprised me a little bit because she’s, don’t get me wrong, Elisabeth has controversial takes occasionally and passionate takes, but you two worked together for ten years and overall got along.”

Behar replied, “It’s fine, she’s a good kid.”

The comedian, who hosted alongside Hasselbeck for a decade, seemed surprised that people would have such intense reactions and wondered if they would feel the same about other former hosts, such as Rosie Perez, Michelle Collins, and Rosie O’Donnell.

Teta said he “wasn’t sure,” but added, “I think it’s Rosie [O’Donnell] and Elisabeth probably are the ones that get that kind of reaction.”

Behar reiterated that Hasselbeck is a “nice kid,” noting, “She comes from a very nice family. Actually, her parents are Democrats. So I don’t know where she comes up with this Republican position, but she — I think maybe her husband, when she got married — she became more conservative.”

Hasselbeck, who first rose to fame as a contestant on the second season of Survivor before launching a successful TV hosting career, slammed Behar last year after the comedian criticized Carrie Underwood for performing at Trump’s inauguration.

“That @TheView @JoyVBehar needs to simmer down off my friend,” she wrote on X at the time, while adding in an Instagram Story, “”Joy — @carrieunderwood is an INCREDIBLE WOMAN. You could learn from her strength.”

Hasselbeck continued to take shots at Behar on Fox News’ Hannity, saying, per Entertainment Weekly, Behar’s criticisms were “nothing more than selfish personal publicity-gaining… [Behar] wants to attach her name to Carrie Underwood’s name so that she maintains relevance because she knows the ship is sinking.”

Despite slamming Behar and The View, which she said “refused to put anyone there who has a lick of sense on most days,” Hasselbeck expressed excitement about returning to guest host.

“I’m excited to go back. I’m honored that they asked me,” she wrote on her recent IG Story. “It’s a really intelligent group of women.”

While Hasselbeck might be excited, the same can’t be said for viewers, many of whom took to social media to share their reactions.

“Grifters are gonna grift,” wrote one Reddit user, referring to how Hasselbeck is returning to a show she previously bashed.

“My exact thought when I saw her name was “Wow, what a hypocrite”. Guarantee she will act buddy buddy with Joy and talk about the “good times” together,” another added.

“Thank god she’s not wasting a spot on 50,” said another, bringing up how Hasselbeck was rumored to be on the cast of the upcoming Survivor 50.

“It’s interesting that she wants to associate with a “sinking” show and compromise her standards,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “I can’t stand Elizabeth [sic] and won’t watch if she’s on.”

“She’s a such a histrionic drama queen,” said another.

“Can we have Rosie back instead?” one user added.

“I’m not watching if she’s on,” wrote another.

Not everyone was against it, though, with one Reddit user writing, “I’m kind of excited ngl as someone who grew up watching The View I always smile when past members of the panel come back.”

Are you looking forward to Hasselbeck returning to The View? Let us know your thoughts below.

The View, weekdays, 11a/10c, ABC

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”