Before she hosted The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck was a contestant on Survivor. The CBS reality show gave her the skills she needed to deal with backstabbing co-stars. She returned to the ABC talk show this week as a guest host. The conservative pundit immediately addressed past on-air drama and made a call for unity. Keep reading for more details on her surprising return after calling the show a “sinking ship.”
Whoopi Goldberg Calls Former Host A ‘Friend’ Upon Return
Elisabeth Hasselbeck left The View as a regular co-host after ten years. Her 2013 departure wasn’t the last viewers saw of her, though. She’s returned to the ABC talk show several times over the years. However, she seemed to burn bridges with the show last year when she called it a “sinking ship.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck made the harsh comments on Fox News in defense of American Idol alum Carrie Underwood performing at President Trump’s second inauguration. The View called out Carrie Underwood for the decision, prompting Elisabeth Hasselbeck to blast Joy Behar and the talk show as a “sinking ship.”
However, Joy Behar recently said she had no problem with Elisabeth Hasselbeck returning to the show. The longtime host was off on Monday, February 2, when Elisabeth Hasselbeck filled in for Alyssa Farah Griffin, who is on maternity leave.
Whoopi Goldberg opened the show by welcoming her former co-host back with open arms. The show’s moderator called Elisabeth Hasselbeck a “friend” of the show and an “all-around great gal.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck Addresses On-Air Drama
Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck may be on good terms, but her relationship with another former co-host is still tense, years after their explosive on-air argument. In 2007, Elisabeth Hasselbeck got in a heated argument with then-moderator Rosie O’Donnell. The argument began when Rosie O’Donnell confronted her co-host for not defending her amid an onslaught of hate from the media about her comments on the ongoing war in Iraq.
Rosie O’Donnell left The View shortly after the shocking fight. She addressed the fight last year, implying the drama was created by the producers. Elisabeth Hasselbeck responded with a tear-filled video, inviting the comedian to come over to talk it out.
“Women can be beautiful, voiced, respected, in the hope that they’re wonderfully significant, but a reminder to us today of our blessing of being able to share our thoughts,” Elisabeth Hasselbeck said. She referenced the on-air drama with Rosie O’Donnell by adding, “And, listen, civil discourse is not dead. We might have differences of opinion, but we love each other and we’re stronger.”
Calls For Unity Despite Political Differences
Elisabeth Hasselbeck went on to talk about being a role model for the audience at home. “I actually think for the young people watching it’s important to see that you can have — Whoopi, you’ve said it before — we can hold our positions in one hand, and each other’s hand in the other, and be able to just live as Americans with the freedom that we have and speak our hearts and minds,” she said.
@thebaldestbitch now the split screen kicks in #theview #daytimetv #fight #argue #rosieodonnell #elisabethhasselbeck #iconictv #2000s #fyp #foryou #loosewomen
The View guest host added, “It might get a little spicy at times, but we do not hate each other; we love each other. We have the freedom to do it, and it’s important to remind everybody of that.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is co-hosting for the rest of the week. Another guest co-host takes over next week. Tell us your thoughts on her return in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
