ABC’s The View has been on the air for almost 27 years and, in that time, the show has seen various pundits come and go as part of its panel. Some attracted more attention than others, and it could be argued that Meghan McCain was one who made headlines often. The author and political pundit left the show in 2021 after four seasons. Since then, McCain has called out the show, expressing her displeasure with aspects of the production. She most recently said there’s “not a chance in hell” she’d be asked to return to the daytime program while also explaining where she stands with some series veterans.
What Did Meghan McCain Say About Possibly Returning To The View?
The news contributor has never been one to mince words and didn’t do that while speaking with Page Six about the notion of rejoining the Alphabet Network’s long-running talk show. She stated the belief that the producers wouldn’t be too keen on having her back in the studio. In addition to saying that there’s no “chance in hell” that she’d be invited back, she also explained that she wouldn’t accept an offer even if it was extended. She attributed that to the current state of her personal life:
I’ve had kids since then. I really like my life right now and I feel like it’s taken me a long time to sort of get to a place where people are seeing me as more serious. I’m 39, I’ll be 40 in October, and there’s something about pushing 40.
Instead Of Blasting The View, Meghan McCain Took Aim At Drew Barrymore For Kamala Harris Interview: ‘Someone Needs To Talk To Her’
Around her exit from the show in 2021, Meghan McCain explained that she was leaving in order to devote time to motherhood and cited the COVID pandemic for helping her gain that perspective. By October of that year, during a wide-ranging interview, McCain shared various candid details about her tenure on the series. She said that her experience was “extremely isolating because of [her] political ideology,” as she was the lone conservative panelist. She also said that her colleagues felt “uncomfortable” around her. Additionally, McCain made claims about how frequently negative stories about her were leaked to the press compared to her co-stars.
So, as a whole, it seems the media personality is indeed done with The View, from which viewers began to refer to her as a “spoiled baby.” (She told Page Six that that particular moniker is wearing off now.) However, just because she wants nothing to do with the show, that doesn’t mean she’s cut ties with others who were on the show at different times.
Meghan McCain Reveals Which View Alums She’s Close With
It goes without saying that Meghan McCain had complex working relationships with some of the other personalities on the ABC show. For example, McCain had spats with Joy Behar and called out a “toxic mean girl nastiness that’s allegedly present on set. Despite all of that, she has shared softer sentiments about some of her former co-workers, like when she paid tribute to Whoopi Goldberg, who she didn’t always agree with. While McCain told Page Six that she doesn’t talk to anyone that she shared the table with, she does still have friends that work at the show. However, she opted not to name them and explained why:
I don’t talk to any of the main co-hosts that I was with, but I still do have friends, that work on the show and people that I made relationships with. But I never want to say who because I don’t want them to get bullied for still being my friend. Like, I don’t want them to be publicly or privately bullied. And I actually have.
She did, however, proceed to name-drop some other notable women who’ve been on The View. One of them was Rosie O’Donnell, who is about to reunite with Meghan McCain. McCain also mentioned two others:
I actually have some interesting relationships with co-hosts that were on the show that weren’t on my seasons — I guess I can break this here — like, Rosie O’Donnell is coming on my podcast soon. So, I mean, please don’t cancel now that I’ve announced it. But I have relationships. I love Jenny McCarthy. She’s always so supportive. She’s amazing. Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I have her number on my phone. It’s kind of a weird club. Like, it’s a weird, you know, it’s like a weird thing to be a part of a weird TV history.
As evidenced by the comments she shared, it seems Meghan McCain is content with continuing her work as a writer and the host of the new podcast Citizen McCain. She may not want to return to the daytime staple, but it sounds like she’s still appreciative of the connections she was able to make thanks to her time there.
Those who gravitate towards talk shows amid the sea of content found on the 2024 TV schedule should know that The View airs at 11 a.m. ET weekly from Monday to Friday on ABC.