The View season 27 just aired on ABC, and we were really looking forward to seeing Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin back on our TV screens.

But when viewers tuned in for the season 5 premiere on September 5, many were surprised to see that Joy had taken Whoopi's moderating seat among the famed round table, with the Sister Act star nowhere in sight. What's more, it took some time before the topic of Whoopi's absence was addressed, amid a spirited discussion over the series' set receiving an aesthetic update.

The daytime talk show already confirmed in August that Whoopi would be back for season 27, so many had questions about her whereabouts for the premiere. After a while, Joy shared the answer about where the upcoming graphic novelist is at the moment, along with an idea of whether she'll return to The View anytime soon.

Where is Whoopi Goldberg on The View?

As Joy explained to the audience, the Ghost alum tested positive for COVID-19, leading her to take some time away from the cameras. "As you can see, Whoopi is not here," Joy revealed in a video uploaded on X (formerly known as Twitter). "She has COVID. Yes, it's back, it's back."

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Despite Whoopi's absence being noted, Joy did also clue folks in on a timeline of when she'll be back. As she later added, it won't be long before she recovers and moderates in her highly-anticipated season debut.

"She's on the mend," Joy added. She's on the tail end and she'll probably be back this week. Sorry she's not here for those of you who were looking forward to seeing her."

While it's sad to not see Whoopi back on TV, we're glad to hear she's on the mend. As many know, this isn't the first time she was out with COVID-19 during her time on The View. She contracted the virus in both January and November 2022, with the EGOT winner needing to miss several episodes in the latter timeframe.

We're hoping Whoopi feels better soon and we look forward to seeing her on the air!


From: Good Housekeeping US
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Adrianna Freedman
Editorial Assistant

As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.