Joy Behar Leaving ABC’s ‘The View’

Oh no!

After 16 years sitting across the table from Barbara Walters and various other in-and-out co-hosts, Joy Behar has announced that she is leaving the ABC talk show. Joy, the only remaining original cast member of the show besides Barbara, has decided not to renew her contract after it expires this coming August.

Joy has also previously hosted her own show on HLN, and now CurrentTV, which is ending soon after a recent network takeover.

In a phone interview, Behar said she felt 16 years on The View were enough.

“It seemed like the right time. You reach a point when you say to yourself, ‘Do I want to keep doing this?’ There are other things on my plate I want to do — I’ve been writing a play, I’ve been neglecting my standup. I do like talk shows, I’m interested in talking to people. I want to do an intelligent talk show where you have room to breath.”

Will that show be on CNN following reports of Behar meeting with new CNN topper Jeff Zucker? Behar would not elaborate beyond saying that she indeed had “a positive meeting” with Zucker and that “CNN would be great place” for her next show.

ABC released a statement saying;

“Joy Behar has been instrumental in the success of The View from the very beginning. We wish her all the best in this next chapter, and are thrilled that we have her for the remainder of the season.”

Behar’s departure may foreshadow a reboot on The View. There had been rumors about a possible exit by Walters, with Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s future beyond this season also unclear.

Things just won’t be the same without you Joy!