Whoopi Goldberg Misses The View's Season 27 Premiere — Find Out Why

The View kicked off its 27th season with a conspicuous absence at the Hot Topics table.

Longtime co-host Whoopi Goldberg sat out Tuesday's season premiere after testing positive for COVID-19, Joy Behar revealed, though she was quick to indicate that Goldberg will likely be back soon.

"As you can see, Whoopi is not here. She has COVID," Behar shared. "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."

This is the second time a COVID diagnosis has caused Goldberg to sit out The View's broadcasts, having previously been sidelined by the virus in November 2022. Then, in February of this year, she was absent for several days due to what Behar called "a bad cold."

The View's other five co-hosts — Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro — were all present for Tuesday's return. In a somewhat surprising move, The View did not alter its hosting lineup at all between Seasons 26 and 27, a rare turn of events for a series with typically high turnover.

"This combination of co-hosts is very special," executive producer Brian Teta previously said in a statement. "They are having fun at the table, but they also are talking about important issues, reacting to breaking news in real time and having tough conversations. They have terrific chemistry, and everyone in our audience can find a perspective to connect with. Now we are heading into a presidential election cycle, when The View is historically at its strongest, and I'm very excited for what's to come in Season 27."

Watch Behar explain Goldberg's absence in the video above, then hit the comments and tell us: Did you miss Goldberg during Tuesday's season premiere?