“The View” tributes Barbara Walters, celebrates upcoming season 30 amid rumors that past cohosts will return

Joey NolfiTue, August 11, 2026 at 4:31 PM UTC

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Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Joy Behar, Lisa Ling, Barbara Walters on ‘The View’Credit: Steve Fenn/ABC/Courtesy EverettKey Points -

The View looked ahead to its monumental season 30 with a sweet tribute to founding cohost Barbara Walters.

Walters, who died in 2023 at age 93, launched the show’s first panel in 1997.

The longtime talk show returns in September for season 30, with rumors of multiple past cohosts joining the Hot Topics table once again.

The View has (rightfully) taken a little time to enjoy a look back at three decades of its pop culture impact.

Ahead of the show’s season 30 return, The View’s official Instagram page honored founding cohost and late show creator Barbara Walters on Tuesday, who launched the show in 1997.

“29 YEARS AGO TODAY!” the show’s post read, alongside a photo of Walters, who died in 2023 at age 93, sitting with the show’s inaugural panel of cohosts Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulos, and Joy Behar.

Rosie O’Donnell, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck on ‘The View’Credit: ABC

The post went on to quote Walters’ original vision for the program —which has remained on the air since its 1997 debut — and will return for its landmark season 30 in September, with current cohosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Behar all expected to return.

“‘I’ve always wanted to do a show with women of different generations, backgrounds and views,’ said the late Barbara Walters on our first show, August 11, 1997. ‘This is that show. We call it ‘The View,’” the show wrote, invoking Walters’ oft-referenced quote.The post continued: “Thank you to our loyal viewers for joining us every morning — see you back at the Hot Topics table soon!”

Rumors have swirled in recent weeks about how the show plans to celebrate its season 30 return. Former cohost Rosie O’Donnell — who first left the table in 2007 following a legendary on-air fight with Elisabeth Hasselbeck —said on a recent podcast that she “will” go back to the show as a guest for season 30.

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Entertainment Weekly later learned through a source that there are “no current plans” to bring O’Donnell or other panelists back. EW also confirmed at the time that prior panelist Meghan McCain had not been asked to return as of Aug. 3.

O’Donnell said at the time that the show is “bringing back all the hosts, I think, for the 30th season,” though a representative for the Emmy-winning comedian and actress told EW: “There was a mention of inviting some of the hosts back to The View as a guest during season 30, there has not been a formal ask from the show at this time,” later adding that Navarro approached O’Donnell at her New York City stage show Common Knowledge and “mentioned [to Rosie] coming to Season 30 of The View as a guest (at some point during the season).”

Original ‘The View’ cohost lineup, including Star Jones, Joy Behar, Meredith Vieira, Debbie Matenopoulos, and Babara WaltersCredit: ABC/Courtesy Everett

Past cohosts have long returned to the Hot Topics table in years past, including Hasselbeck (who guest-cohosted for an entire week amid Griffin’s maternity leave), Jones (who reflected on her body journey during a May 2025 episode), and Sherri Shepherd, who went on to host her own Sherri talk show.

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Shortly after her death, the show paid tribute to Walters across a special episode at the top of 2023. The show’s parent network, ABC, also invoked Walters’ words and image in June, when it launched an ad urging its audience to push back against the Federal Communications Commission’s recent targeting of the long-running program.

The View returns later this year on ABC.

on Entertainment Weekly

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