Tuesday’s (March 3) new episode of The View was Elisabeth Hasselbeck‘s second day as guest host in Alyssa Farah Griffin‘s maternity leave absence, but it was the first day she was reunited face to face with Joy Behar.
Hasselbeck and Behar have a long and storied history. Behar, who was part of the original cast, left The View temporarily in 2013, which was the same year Hasselbeck ended her 10-year tenure on the show. Behar ultimately returned just two years later, but Hasselbeck did not, and she has had some marked comments for her former cohost in the past, including saying Behar knew the show was a “ship [that] is sinking.”
So all eyes were on the duo on Tuesday morning, and, perhaps expectably, it was a remarkable reunion indeed.
Things got awkward right away when moderator Whoopi Goldberg began the show with an introduction meant for Hasselbeck, but Behar jokingly claimed it.
After greeting the live audience and viewers at home, Goldberg said, “Joining us all week at the table is…” But before she could finish, Behar interrupted to say, “Thank you, I’m back.”
After a beat of laughter from the crowd and cohosts, Hasselbeck said, “I missed you yesterday!”
“I missed you, too,” Behar said.
After Goldberg finished her introduction of Hasselbeck, Behar then said, “It’s like the old days with me and Elisabeth. How long were we here together?”
“Too long!” Hasselbeck replied. “Just kidding. I love … it had to be 10 years together. Joy and I are like family. Whoopi and I are like family, and now I have new sisters.”
Behar then took a quick trip down memory lane to say, “I always tell this story, but I’ll tell it again. I said to Barbara Walters, ‘We’re going to get old on this show.’ She said, ‘You’re going to get old anyway!’”
“You saw all of our kids born here on the program,” Hasselbeck agreed. “Whoopi, you’ve gotten to know our children… They’re all grown now. They watched yesterday… Yeah, they had comments, and they loved you all.”
Sunny Hostin then chimed in and shared a somewhat backhanded compliment Behar had for Hasselbeck before they took the stage.
“You know you’re close to Joy when she starts making fun of the clothes that you’re wearing. She said outside that she looked like a Wedgewood China pattern,” she explained, referring to Hasselbeck’s knit blue dress.
“Thank you. And I appreciate that,” Hasselbeck said.
“You could eat like a whole meal on it,” Behar added in jest.
“That’s when you know Joy Behar loves you,” Hostin clarified.
“Hey, we’re back baby!” Hasselbeck said, taking Behar’s hand.
The View, weekdays, 11a/10c, ABC
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