Elisabeth Hasselbeck gave an emotional goodbye to the ladies on The View Wednesday, July 10. Walking out arm-in-arm with Barbara Walters, the 36-year-old talk show host had tears in her eyes as she confirmed her departure from the show to join Fox & Friends in mid-September.
Walters began the announcement by stating, "Good morning and welcome to The View. I am a little emotional — or as that other Barbara sometimes says, 'I'm a little verklempt.' Because it was reported last night that our Elisabeth Hasselbeck is leaving us to join the Fox network. As you can see, I'm a little teary but I always want what's best for you, you know how I feel about you. I'm happy that you're going. No, I'm not happy that you're going. I'm happy that it's good for you. You tell us about it."
"First of all, I'm really happy and excited to confirm that, indeed, I will be joining the Fox & Friends team in September," Hasselbeck said. I would first like to thank . . . . the entire Fox News channel for this incredible opportunity. Today is officially my last day at The View. For a decade, I've been able to work efficiently at this table only because everyone behind the scenes as worked more efficiently." (Us Weekly was first to break news of her departure in March.)
Hasselbeck then gave individual thank-yous to co-hosts Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Walters. "Whoopi . . . You are one of the most talented artists on this planet, but . . . you are even more loving than you are talented," she said with tears in her eyes. "You are walking unconditional love . . . and I am just blessed to have gotten to call myself a friend of yours."
"Joy . . . and I have spent the last 10 years sparring over politics," she joked, but added that she has honored those conversations. "I even like when Joy as the ability to throw a one-liner in and make me laugh even when I don't want to. So, I love you. I truly do."
"Sherri Shepherd, your protest of absence is not working," Hasselbeck joked to the camera of her missing on the show. "You're my sister in Christ, my friend for life."
"Barbara, I did some math last night — and I could be wrong — but I think had more than 3,000 days working by your side," she said. "Truly because of all that you have taught me, I was prepared to interview political candidates. I feel more than prepared at this point — because of all that you have given me — to move forward. I couldn't have asked for a better leader and mentor."
Lastly, Hasselbeck called the last 10 years working on the show extraordinary and hoped they would be the same for her replacement.
"I have enormous affection for you," Walters said. "You were still a newlywed when you joined us . . . and three of your children when born when you were here . . . and now that you're going to the early morning hours, I don't know if there will be a fourth!"
But Hasselbeck countered that she will now be "going to bed earlier."
"You're going to leave a big void at this table," Walters said. "We know that."
Behar then took a turn to thank Hasselbeck, and make one last joke at her expense. "First of all, Fox, gee. Won't you be a fish out of water there?" she quipped to her famously conservative pal. "When we got into it, it was exciting for the show, I think. Everybody always thinks that we were mad at each other, which we never were . . . because we're professionals. I'm glad to see that you're moving into a great job."
"I just think that you're that cat's meow," Goldberg added. "You've been a really good friend to me and I appreciate you. And may we both continue to grow because that's life, right?"
Walters made a point of saying they were in no rush to fill Hasselbeck's chair, and she is always welcome back as a guest.
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