Joy Behar, 77, announces break from The View amid coronavirus concerns: ‘I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy’
- Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin will continue on the show
- The show will not have a live studio audience present
- Behar will take at least one week off pending further developments
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Joy Behar is taking a break from The View amid the spread of the coronavirus.
‘I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,’ Behar, 77, said during a taping of the show Thursday that will air Friday, according to Variety.
‘I don’t look my age, but I’m actually up there – the number makes me dizzy.’
The latest: Joy Behar, 77, is taking a break from The View amid the spread of the coronavirus. She said Thursday, ‘I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy’
Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin will continue to do the show, which will not have a live studio audience presence, a widespread industry practice amid the outbreak of the international ailment.
On the show, Behar said her daughter Eve, 49, convinced her to take the safety first approach.
She said she will be off of the show for at least one week, then will reevaluate her decision.
Stepping back: Behar, seen with co-host Whoopi Goldberg, will remain off the show for at least a week pending future events
Chatting: The comic’s sharp wit and outspoken nature has made her a staple of the ABC show
Behar earlier this week commented on the outbreak of the virus, criticizing President Donald Trump for his reticence over a cruise ship with coronavirus patients onboard docking on the West Coast in an effort to keep the growth of new cases stagnant.
‘When the numbers go up, it makes him look bad,’ she said on the show. ‘They’d go on land and that makes the numbers go up. That makes him look bad, the stock market reacts and he’s worried about his presidency.’
The decision from the veteran comic and TV personality comes as officials are urging people to work from home, and avoid clustering in groups as a means of containing the virus.
In the United States, more than 1,500 cases of the ailment have been reported, with officials expecting a spike when mass testing commences.
In the mix: Joy made headlines when she clashed with Donald Trump Jr. last November on the show. Also pictured was Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is dating the president’s son
It has impacted all facets of the entertainment industry, as television programs ranging from talk shows to game shows, including The View, will proceed taping programs without studio audiences on hand.
Among the talk shows include The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show With James Corden, while game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! will also go on without audience members.
In addition, films such as Fast & Furious 9 and The Quiet Place 2 have had their releases delayed amid an anticipated swoon at the box office amid the outbreak, while Disneyland in Anaheim, California was closed through the end of the month.