Why Whoopi Goldberg Is On Break From ‘The View’

The View host, Whoopi Goldberg, will be absent from the talk show for a few episodes because she has COVID!

Several viewers of The View were shocked when Monday’s episode of the show aired with Whoopi Goldberg, 67, being absent. Co-host, Sara Haines, took over as moderator and was joined by new co-hosts, Ana Navaro and Alyssa Farah Griffin. A rep for Goldberg told Entertainment Weekly that the TV personality had been feeling ill before the show and several tests came back positive for COVID. Joy Beyhar was also absent from the show, but she had already been scheduled to be absent this week.

This isn’t the first time Whoopi has contracted the virus this year. In January, she missed several episodes of the show because she tested positive after the Christmas holiday break. At the time, she detailed her experience with the virus to her fellow co-hosts during a live Zoom from her home. “It was a shock because I’m triple vaxxed, I haven’t been anywhere, I haven’t done anything. It’s one of those things where you think, I’ve done everything I was supposed to do… Yeah, it doesn’t stop omicron,” she explained. 

The daytime host said her COVID diagnosis was a breakthrough case but still urged viewers to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the virus. “I don’t know how much more proof people need to see that the vaccination — while it does not necessarily stop it from happening again — it is not happening at the same rate that it was,” Whoopi explained. During the first show of the year when Whoopi was absent, Joy explained to viewers why she was going to be the moderator. “Why am I here instead of Whoopi? Well, Whoopi, unfortunately, tested positive over the break, but she’ll be back probably next week. Since she’s vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very mild, but we’re being super cautious here at The View.

Whoopi has been a co-host on the daytime talk show since 2007, marking almost 15 years on the show. In September 2021, Variety reported that Whoopi signed a multi-million dollar deal that would see her stay on the show through its 28th season. She is also the longest-running host in the show’s history. Goldberg is still active in her acting career having appeared in Stephen King’s adaptation of ‘The Stand’ and EPIX series, ‘Godfather of Harlem.’ 

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