Whoopi Goldberg Feels It’s ‘Shocking’ She’s Still on ‘The View’: ‘I’ve Thought About Leaving’

Whoopi Goldberg has been in the moderator seat at The View for nearly 20 years, and she’s surprised her run has lasted this long.

In an interview with People published on Monday, September 14, the longtime The View cohost revealed she’s “thought about leaving all the time, all the time.”

“It’s a little bit shocking that I’m here as long as I have been,” she admitted.

The ladies at The View celebrated a major television achievement when the popular daytime talk show returned on September 8 for its 30th season.

During the broadcast, fellow panelist Joy Behar announced to the crowd, “Miss Whoopi over here… She is celebrating a milestone: 20 years of that seat.”

In September 2007, Goldberg became moderator and panelist of the long-running show by replacing Rosie O’Donnell.

At the time, “I needed a job desperately,” she told People, adding that she’s “grateful” creator Barbara Walters “plucked me when I needed to be plucked.”

“She said, ‘Will you come and do this?'” the Ghost actress recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ She said, ‘It’ll be all right. You just do lead-ins.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, OK.’ So I came, and then she gave me the job.”

It doesn’t mean that the gig has been a piece of cake throughout the years. In fact, Goldberg said that being on The View can be “really hard,” adding that viewers can get “mad” if they disagree with your opinions.

On the September 8 broadcast, Goldberg spoke about the experience of being on The View each and every day and shared similar sentiments.

“People think this is an easy gig,” the EGOT recipient said. “In many ways, it is because you get into a rhythm. But it’s really hard because you have to be present. You have to be present because we’re live, so stuff is happening, and you got to be on top of it.”

“And it’s live, and we are not scripted,” Goldberg pointed out. “That’s the other thing. What you’re hearing us say is what we think. It is our opinions. People don’t always like it, and that’s the great thing about America. You don’t have to agree with everybody.”

The View airs weekdays on ABC.