One Star Was Noticeably Missing From The View's Original Co-Host Reunion
The original cast of "The View" has come together for a reunion that was 25 years in the making. The show, which premiered in August 1997, saw four women in a panel-style discussion about news, hot topics, and the latest celebrity gossip. Debbie Matenopoulos, Star Jones, Joy Behar, and Meredith Viera were all included in the original cast, alongside broadcast journalist Barbara Walters.
The talk program would go on to become one of the most successful of its kind in history, scoring a slew of Daytime Emmy wins over its nearly 30-year run. However, the show has seen a number of host changes throughout the years, starting with Matenopoulos' exit after season two. Viera left "The View" in 2006 for NBC's "Today." During the same year, Jones made a grand exit, announcing her departure mid-show, much to the surprise of Walters and show producers. Behar took a hiatus from the popular program in 2013 and returned in 2015.
25 years after the famed panelists led the daytime talk show, the women have all reunited ... sans one original co-host.
Barbara Walters is missing from the reunion
The original co-hosts of ABC's "The View" have reunited for an upcoming reunion special, minus one key player. Debbie Matenopoulos posted the photo of the women on Instagram and gave a special shout out to her "first TV sisters," Star Jones, Joy Behar, and Meredith Viera. "So great having dinner and catching up with my very first TV sisters for 'The View' 25th year reunion special shoot," she wrote, adding, "There can only ever be one first ... and that was us!"
However, noticeably missing from the photo was the show's creator, Barbara Walters. Walters retired from the Emmy-winning talk show in 2014 and declared that she had no desire to return to television. "I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain," Walters said of her decision to leave, per the Los Angeles Times. "I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and OK, some men too — who will be taking my place."