Whoopi Goldberg Misses The View Season Premiere After Falling Ill

Season 27 of The View debuted on Monday, but regrettably, Whoopi Goldberg missed the show after falling ill.

The Ghost star reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and co-panelist Joy Behar filled in for her as moderator in the meantime.

She also let their viewers know that Whoopi was already getting better and is likely to return to the show soon.

Whoopi Goldberg missing from The View season 27 premiere

As reported by TVLine, as the show opened, co-panelist Joy Behar took over as moderator.

She soon let their viewers know that Whoopi Goldberg’s health is improving and she will likely return soon.

“As you can see, Whoopi is not here. She has COVID,” Behar said. “Yes, it’s back. It’s back! But she’s on the mend.

She’s on the tail end, and she’ll probably be back this week. But sorry she’s not here, for those of you who were looking forward to seeing her.”

The View season 27 has a new, different look

In a recent tweet, The View noted: “New season, new mug, new table! ✨   @TheView  co-hosts take a seat at the #HotTopics table for season 27!”

New season, new mug, new table! ✨ @TheView co-hosts take a seat at the #HotTopics table for season 27! https://t.co/cVclFZQU98 pic.twitter.com/nEsR8T7EIx

— The View (@TheView) September 5, 2023

When season 27 of The View dropped on Monday, viewers noticed that the show had a different look.

According to Entertainment Weekly, while the panelists remain the same, the set of the show has changed. In fact, the ladies have a new studio look, including a new table.

Since season 27 debuted, many fans have commented on the return of The View, with one welcoming the show back by tweeting:

Weeks and weeks of unbelievable news and happenings without The View has been torture!!! Glad you’re back.

The same panelists return

The debut of season 27 came after news in August that all six current panelists were set to return for the new season.

Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro have all returned, while Goldberg is once again the panel’s moderator once she returns.

The show was off the air for most of August while the panelists enjoyed their scheduled summer break after closing on Friday, August 4.

While many fans believed the show was off the air due to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, this isn’t true.

Meanwhile, Goldberg had previously clarified that the show would go on during the strike as it “operates under the network code, which is a different contract than the one currently trying to be renegotiated.”

Moreover, Whoopi added that they were not stopping due to the strike, because we want to keep everybody employed, and we want to do our best, and we support our writers ’cause we know what they’re going through.”

As The View’s moderator’s health continues to improve, it is hoped that Whoopi Goldberg will be back on the show soon.