Barbara Walters' Last Day On 'The View:' When Will The Host Officially Retire?
Barbara Walters' last day on The View will air on ABC next month.
On Monday, the network announced Walters' final day of co-hosting The View would air on May 16, followed by a two-hour special honoring Walters later that night.
"In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters," Robert A. Iger, chairman and chief executive of The Walt Disney Company told E! News in a statement on April 7. "She's a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it's impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television. She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It's hard to imagine television without her."
Walters' national broadcast career began in 1961 when she worked on NBC's Today Show as a reporter, writer, and panel member. From there, Walters was promoted to co-host in 1974, making her the program's first female co-host. Two years later, Walters left the network and headed to ABC where she worked on the ABC Evening News and 20/20. On Aug. 11, 1997, Walters made her debut on The View as co-creator, co-executive producer, and co-host.
In addition to Walters' upcoming special, ABC will further honor her career by renaming ABC News' New York City headquarters in her honor during a dedication ceremony that will take place this spring. The network will also celebrate Walters with a week-long look back at her career on episodes of The View.
Walters first announced plans to retire in May 2013.
"I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain," Walters explained at the time. "I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women—and OK, some men, too—who will be taking my place."