Barbara Walters’ co-hosts from The View pay tribute to her legendary career after death at age 93

Barbara Walters worked with a bevy of influential journalists and entertainers during her 17-year-long tenure on ABC daytime talk show The View.

And the women of the series, including Meghan McCain, Star Jones, Rosie O’Donnell, Jenny McCarthy and many more, shared their respects for the iconic figure after her death on Friday at age 93.

Walters was one of the few unchanging aspects of the series, which she created in 1997 and co-hosted from its first season through 2014, though she continued on as a producer.

McCain, who appeared on the show from 2017 to 2021 — after Walters had moved on — still showed her respects to the veteran journalist on Twitter.

Honoring her: Barbara Walters was serenaded by numerous past and present co-hosts on The View, which she created in 1997, following her death on Friday at age 93; seen with (L–R) Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie O’Donnell and Joy Behar

Barbara Walters will always be known as a trail blazer,’ she wrote. ‘Her hard hitting questions and welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism.’

She added that Walters’ ‘creation of The View is something I will always be appreciative of. 

‘Rest in peace you will forever be an icon,’ she concluded.

Jenny McCarthy, who appeared on the series from 2013–2014, at the end of Walters’ tenure, shared a playful version of a photo of the TV legend hugging her from behind on set, while Sherri Shepherd let out a big laugh.

‘My Dear Barbara, Thank you for your love, guidance, support, nurturing and for making a seat for me at “the table,”‘ McCarthy wrote. 

‘Your impact on the world is immeasurable. Your impact on me will never be forgotten,’ she continued. ‘You will forever be an icon, in every sense of the word, and a most beloved friend to me. Love you always, Jenny. Rest peacefully.’

Depsite Jenny’s moving tribute, she had much harsher words to describe her time on The View while speaking with Ramin Setoodeh, the author of the 2019 book The Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story Of The View, via Vulture.

An excerpt claimed that Walters spend much of her final year on the show despairing about her impending retirement, while McCarthy described her fury.

Inspired: Meghan McCain, who joined the show after Walters had retired, praised her as a ‘trail blazer’

In her debt: Jenny McCarthy thanked Walters for her ‘love, guidance, support, nurturing and for making a seat for me at “the table””

‘You know the movie Mommie Dearest?” Jenny asked, referencing the 1981 camp classic which stars Faye Dunaway as an over-the-top Joan Crawford. ‘I remember as a child watching that movie and going, “Holy cow!”‘ she said, before adding, ‘I’ve never seen a woman yell like that before until I worked with Barbara Walters.’

She recounted an earlier 2007 appearance on the show to talk about her book about her son’s autism diagnosis. Before the show began, Walters called her back to her dressing room and berated her for writing that she had ‘cured’ her son’s autism, though McCarthy claimed to have never used that word.

She vowed, ‘I’m never going on the f***ing View again,’ but a 2012 appearance for a second book was completely different, with Walters greeting her warmly and clearly engaging with what she wrote.

But once she was a co-host on the series, McCarthy claimed that Walters began to scrutinize her clothing and would sometimes order her to change if she thought an outfit was too revealing, or in at least one case, when she allegedly wore a summery dress during the winter.

Rosie O’Donnell shared her praise for the late Walters in a TikTok video posted on Friday evening.

She said she was ‘very sad’ to hear of Walters’ death, before saying, ‘Who wouldn’t take that?’ in response to her long life.

Soured: But she described a confrontation during a 2007 guest appearance, and she later said Watlers constantly scrutinized her outfits once she was a co-host; seen with (L–R) Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, McCarthy and Hasselbeck

Old pals: Rosie O’Donnell praised Walters’ long career and noted how they went to a ‘good many Broadway shows,’ though Walters would slap her hand away when she tried to help her backstage

Falling out: But O’Donnell was furious at Walters when she thought the veteran journalist failed to defend her from Donald Trump after a 2006 segment she led that was critical of him

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‘Spoke to every prominent world leader in memory. Spoke to everyone who was anyone, and I was lucky enough to be in her orbit for a good many years,’ O’Donnell continued. 

She added that they saw a ‘good many Broadway shows,’ and she recounted how she would try to help Walters on the steps when they would visit backstage, but the veteran journalist would always swipe her hand away.

‘She knew what she was doing, I can tell you that,’ O’Donnell added.

But like several of her costars, O’Donnell — who was on the show from 2006–2007 and 2014–2015 — reportedly had tense times with Walters on the set of The View.

After a 2006 episode, in which she impersonated Donald Trump and criticized him for allegedly using a Miss U.S.A. pageant winner’s drug use as publicity for himself, Walters tried to smooth things over with a reportedly furious Trump, who was apparently angered over O’Donnell’s claims that he had gone bankrupt, as it was only multiple of his businesses that had gone bankrupt, not himself personally.

 Left to hang: O’Donnell reportedly told Walters she thought she hadn’t done enough to defend her from Trump’s fury and constant attacks

Trump subsequently claimed that Walters told him she regretted hiring O’Donnell in a chat to try to mollify him.

O’Donnell reportedly came to believe that Walters hadn’t done enough to protect her, according to a Ladies Who Punch excerpt published in Vanity Fair in 2019.

When O’Donnell returned to the show from a short vacation, she exploded at Walters backstage before the broadcast. 

‘I definitely yelled,’ O’Donnell recalled. ‘I said how disappointed I was and how shocked and hurt I was that she wouldn’t stand up for me. I felt very betrayed about her going behind my back and speaking to Donald Trump in Trumpian language. I said something about her daughter, which I should not have said. But I did.’

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who appeared on the show from 2003 to 2013, shared a photo of Walters to her Insta Stories with a broken-hearted emoji.

In a post to her main Instagram page, she wrote, ‘I love ❤️ you Barbara.

More to come: Elisabeth Hasselbeck said she ‘love[d]’ Walters and promised to say more on Fox and Friends

Feuding: The conservative commentator tried to quit backstage in 2006 after Walters shut her off during a segment in which she raged against reports that the FDA was considering making the morning-after pill available over the counter

Hot mic: ‘F*** that!’ Hassselbeck screamed backstage in audio capturing the event. ‘I’m not going to sit there and get reprimanded on the air. It’s not OK to sit there and get reprimanded on the air’; seen in 2007

‘GOD is in this story,’ she added, before promising to share her respects on Fox and Friends. ‘It will be an honor to be broadcasting about your love and legacy.’ 

Hasselbeck was fired from the show in 2013, but she previously tried to quit it during a commercial break in 2006, according to audio of the incident published by Variety. 

The women had been discussing a proposal for the FDA to authorize the morning-after pill for over-the-counter sales, but Hasselbeck had raged against the potential decision, despite her co-hosts arguments and appeals to medical science. 

‘Could you stop now?’ Walters said to end her tirade. ‘We have to go on and we have to learn how to discuss these things in some sort of rational way.’

‘F*** that!’ Hassselbeck screamed backstage in audio capturing the event. ‘I’m not going to sit there and get reprimanded on the air. It’s not OK to sit there and get reprimanded on the air.’

‘What the f***!’ Hasselbeck yelled again after Joy Behar tried to calm her. ‘I don’t even swear. She has me swearing. This woman is driving me nuts,’ she said. 

‘I’m not going back. I can’t do the show like this. She just reprimanded me, and she knew exactly what she was doing. Good-bye! I’m off. Write about that in the New York F***ing Post,’ she said, though the show’s producer eventually talked her back into returning.

Lisa ling, who co-hosted from 1999 to 2002, shared photos of herself beaming with Walters to mark her death.

Honored: Lisa ling, who co-hosted from 1999 to 2002, wrote, ‘What an honor it has been to know you and to have been the beneficiary of your titanic spirit and wisdom’

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Overwhelmed: The comedian Michelle Collins was briefly featured on The View from 2015 to 2016, but she had nothing but kind words for Walters, who was an EP at the time

Nailed it: She added a fun photo of the two backstage, which showed her looking comically nervous next to a dignified Walters

‘You paved the way for all of us, dear Barbara. What an honor it has been to know you and to have been the beneficiary of your titanic spirit and wisdom,’ she wrote in her caption.

The comedian Michelle Collins was briefly featured on The View from 2015 to 2016, but she had nothing but kind words for Walters, who was not her costar but still served as an executive producer at the time.

‘One of the first rites of passage of becoming a host on @TheView was to have lunch with Barbara Walters,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘Few times in my life have I been that nervous. She was an absolute trailblazer, class, elegance, smarts that are increasingly hard to come by. I’ll always be grateful. RIP.’ 

She added a fun photo of the two backstage, which showed her looking comically nervous next to a dignified Walters.

Sherri Shepherd, who appeared on The View from 2007 until 2014, penned a lengthy tribute to the late journalist upon hearing the sad news of Barbara’s passing on Friday. On Instagram, she uploaded of herself sitting next to Walters as the two were involved in a conversation. 

Lengthy tribute: Sheri Shepherd, who starred on The View for seven years, left a detailed tribute to her fellow co-star on Instagram on Friday 

‘Tough’ on those she loved: Sherri revealed to People in 2020 that, ‘Barbara was so hard on me. I cried for three years in my dressing room because she was so hard on me, but she did it out of love’; seen in 2014 on The View 

The talk show host began her tribute by expressing, ‘Barbara was touch on me, but she was touch on those she loved. Barbara gave me a chance to grow. She encourage me (no…she TOLD me) to speak up or be left behind. She told me to never take No for an answer.’ 

She also added that Walters was close to her son, Jeffrey, and that the two hosts would enjoy dinners togethers. ‘I told her that I always wanted to end our evening with a sleepover in matching pj’s (you can imagine the look on her face). 

Sherri called Barbara the ‘Mother Lion,’ and thanked her, ‘for giving a shy girl who didn’t like to debate a seven year chance of a lifetime. You believing in me has changed my life.’

During a past interview with People in 2020, Shepherd revealed that, ‘Barbara was so hard on me. I cried for three years in my dressing room because she was so hard on me, but she did it out of love.’ 

The TV personality added that the late news anchor would tell her, ‘I love you, I just need you to read a book, dear, and learn to defend what you believe. And speak up,’ further expressing, ‘It was the most painful experience that I’ve ever gone through, but it was the best experience.’  

Star Jones, who co-hosted The View for a total of nine years since the show’s start in 1997 until 2006. 

‘Rest well sister’: Star Jones, who was an original co-host of The View, shared a special message on Twitter, calling the late anchor not just a ‘friend’ and ‘colleague,’ but also a ‘sister’ and ‘mother’ 

‘Remarkable woman’: Sunny Hostin expressed that although she was currently in Africa, she still received the ‘sad news’ of Barbara’s passing at 93-years-old 

In a tweet, the lawyer and journalist penned, ‘I owe Barbara Walters more than I could ever repay. Rest well sister…mother…friend…colleague…mentor.’ 

When talking about Barbara earlier this year in October when stopping by Sherri Shepherd’s own talk show, she opened up about working with the legendary TV personality, according to The U.S. Sun. 

‘She really brought diversity. Put it on the front burner. And said that no matter what skin color your were, what size you were, your opinion mattered,’ and added, ‘She really made that important back in 1997 when I started.’  

Sunny Hostin, current co-host of The View who started in 2016, uploaded a photo of herself on the daytime talk show as she sat on the comfortable couch next to Walters. She wrote that despite her current distance from America, she still received the ‘sad news’ of Barbara’s passing. 

‘She was an extraordinary, meticulous and no-nonsense journalist with a wicked sense of humor. She shattered countless glass ceilings and did it with grace and humility,’ the American lawyer typed. ‘I’m forever grateful for the trails she blazed for me and so many others.’ 

Debbie Matenopoulos, who was cast as a co-host in 1997 on The View when she was just 22-years-old, uploaded numerous posts on Instagram while expressing her shock over Barbara’s death. 

‘My hero’: Debbie Matenopoulos, who was the youngest co-host on The View, shared numerous tributes on Instagram as she expressed her shock over Barbara’s passing 

Incredible teacher: The TV host was cast on the talk show in 1997 when she was just 22-years-old, and appeared as a co-host until 1999 when her contract was not renewed 

Special memories: Debbie uploaded heartwarming photos of herself with the late anchor that  had been taken over the years 

The first photo she shared onto her Instagram story was a group photo of herself with the original co-hosts, including Walters. ‘You single handedly changed my life and the life of every other female journalist by leading the way for us all,’ she had added in the caption.  

Another post showed a picture of Debbie and Barbara together on the show that her friend had taken from the audience. She explained that her friend had sent the photo to her for the first time just hours before hearing about the award winner’s passing. 

She also uploaded an adorable snap of herself leaning in to hug Walters, penning, ‘There are no words to describe what this woman has meant to me through the years. I am in disbelief at the moment. Still trying to process.’ 

When talking about Barbara and her idea to create The View, Debbie stated on the Allison Interviews podcast earlier this year that, ‘It was an experiment and something she had wanted to do for years, and she finally was at a place in her life and had enough respect at ABC that they would allow her to do this.’ 

Matenopoulos was an original co-host on the daytime series when she was cast in 1997, until 1999 when her contract was not renewed.  

Paula Faris, who was co-host on The View for three years, beginning from 2015 until 2018, also shared a tribute to the late influential journalist. 

A family: Debbie also shared a group photo of The View co-hosts, including Barbara, as she typed, ‘My heart hurts’ in the caption 

Very ‘grateful’: Paula Faris, who was co-host on The View beginning in 2015 until 2018, also shared kind words to the late Barbara Walters on Instagram 

She uploaded a group photo of herself with Barbara, along with other co-hosts taken when she had been working on the daytime talk show. 

The former ABC News correspondent added a short caption to go along with the picture, writing, ‘Forever grateful to have learned from one of the best.’ 

In 2020, Paula published a memoir titled, Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs For A Life Of True Calling, where she opened up about her time hosting The View. 

Pertaining to The View, Walters wrote that she had two inspirations: This Week with David Brinkley, and Virginia Graham’s Girl Talk, a daytime program that run during the 1960s.

‘So I wondered, if we took a small and varied group of women and made them a permanent cast, would that work for an informative and entertaining hour?’

While ABC wasn’t over the moon about the idea, they did commission a pilot. Walters said that the key was to find ‘the right women with the right chemistry.’ The four women who were the original cast – Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Joy Behar and Debbie Matenopoulos – were on the first panel that auditioned, according to the memoir. The name was also shortened from The View From Here, which was being used by a Canadian program.

Geddie worked out the show’s format with Walters and was named the show’s co-executive producer. Walters called him indispensable, according to her memoir.

The View premiered on August 11, 1997 and continues to be a success.

Long-lasting career: Barbara had notably worked in television for over 50 years, earning herself a total of 12 Emmy wins; seen on ABC News in 1976