Even Walters hates ‘The View’
BARBARA Walters thinks ABC execs have ruined “The View” and fears the show will be remembered for its petty backstage bickering and revolving door of talent.
“She feels they’ve ruined the franchise that she and Bill Geddie built. Instead of focusing on smart, educated women with strong talent, they cast uninformed child actors on the show. The legacy has been compromised because of poor casting and bad leadership under ABC News,” a source told us.
Walters is so over the show that she even ditched a post-election appearance, which reunited original hosts, Debbie Matenopoulos, Meredith Vieira, Joy Behar and Star Jones. Walters’ longtime rep told us she was vacationing with her daughter in Florida. “It was a prearranged vacation for the two of them. She calls the control room multiple times a week to offer her suggestions. She has a wonderful relationship with the show,” she said.
Meanwhile, “The View” continues to part ways with its talent. Candace Cameron Bure is the latest casualty of the talk show. The actress announced last week that she would not be returning to the show after going missing for several weeks, according to insiders.
“She was at a ‘Hot Topics’ meeting and said she didn’t feel well. She went home and no one heard from her for several weeks — even her close friends at the show. People thought she was about to have a breakdown because she was exhausted. She didn’t return anyone’s calls and went AWOL. We were not surprised when she returned and asked to get out of her contract,” an insider said.
Several sources told Page Six last summer that the show would slowly phase out Bure and Raven-Symoné in order to avoid another embarrassing public shake-up at ABC. Raven-Symoné flew the coop in October. Paula Faris remains on the show, splitting her time with “Good Morning America.”
An ABC rep said BaWa was fully on board: “There’s no better producer than Barbara Walters, and we’re always grateful for her notes about the show. The ratings are up, and we’re very proud of the team.”