The View executives are reportedly pushing Joy Behar to step down from the ABC talk show as she remains off-air recovering from an injury sustained on set.
The 84-year-old host is now in her third consecutive week of absence from the Hot Topics table after dislocating her shoulder when she “caught a heel backstage.”
Whoopi Goldberg announced at the top of Tuesday’s show that Behar was “still out healing up.”
However, in a new report citing an insider, The US Sun claims staff are becoming “increasingly worried about her falling” and believe she should quit the show. They added that Joy “needs staff to guide her around backstage.”
The insider continued: “It’s become a dangerous situation, and nobody wants to be responsible if something happens.
It is also claimed executives would prefer Joy to step away from The View on her own terms before she suffers another injury.
The Independent has contacted Behar’s representative and ABC for comment.
A second insider told The US Sun: “They want Joy to retire gracefully.
“Give her a huge farewell, celebrate her extraordinary career and let her leave with dignity.”
But “Joy refuses to even consider it” because she loves being a moderator on the show, which she has been on since its inception in August 1997.
The insider continued: “Joy isn’t going anywhere voluntarily.
“She still thinks she can do the job, and nobody has the courage to tell her it’s time to leave.”
The second source also claimed there have been conversations about reducing Joy’s workload, with the veteran host potentially moving to a part-time schedule after years of appearing for four days a week.
They added: “Barbara Walters was 84 when she left The View after going part-time.”
The original host quit the ABC programme in May 2014, eight years before Barbara died in December 2022 at the age of 93.
It comes after Sunny Hostin, 57, sat in the presenter's chair for the October 1 episode as Whoopi was away filming the Netflix movie, Women Like Us.
She explained: “So, Whoopi is still out filming a movie, and, unfortunately, our dear friend Joy dislocated her shoulder.”
After the audience gasped, Sunny went on: “Yeah, so she’s recovering and will be back soon.”
Referring to Joy and Whoopi being The View’s most senior hosts, she quipped: “So, the two OGs are out today. So, apparently, the job went to the next-oldest, or let's say, seasoned co-host. I like seasoned better.”
Hostin was joined on the panel by Sara Haines, 49, Ana Navarro, 54, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, 37, as well as 59-year-old guest host Sherri Shepherd, who quit The View in 2014 after seven years.
Hostin added: “So, it’s a good thing that Sherri Shepherd is back to guest host.”
Shepherd commented: “That's what I love about The View family. No matter if we’ve never worked together, it’s still a sisterhood. If you leave, you’re still my sisters. We talk and have a good time. Even off air. I’m glad to be back.”
Farah Griffin said: “This is a squad right here. I like this.”
Behar’s representative previously told Page Six: “Joy caught a heel backstage but is on the mend and should be back on the show mid next week.
“Her shoulder wasn’t broken and is back in place, and she is excited to be back at the table as quickly as possible.”
Last November, Joy took time off from the show after she dropped an iPad on her foot and broke her toe.
In June, the star took a planned fortnight off from The View as she jetted out to London to perform her play, My First Ex-Husband.
Joy said: “There’s been a lot of media attention on me lately because I’m taking off the next two weeks.
“They’re calling it a hiatus. It’s not a hiatus.”
She insisted the trip was for “work.”
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