Whoopi Goldberg Misses ‘The View’ After Mount Etna Eruption, Sara Haines and Ana Navarro Also Absent

Whoopi Goldberg had a legitimate excuse for missing work this week — an active volcano.

The Monday, July 6, episode of The View featured only three cohosts sitting at the table: Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin, alongside last-minute guest Michelle Buteau filling in for the moderator Goldberg, People reported.

“Hello, everybody. So you may be asking, ‘Why am I here on a Monday?’ I asked myself the same question,” Behar, 83, quipped, according to the outlet. “But Brian [Teta, executive producer] begged me to come in — on his knees, where he belongs. Why? Because we are down three cohosts today.”

Griffin, 37, joked the cohosts were “dropping like flies” before Behar explained Goldberg’s absence: “Whoopi is using the old volcano excuse,” per the report.

The show shared a video from Goldberg. “I am in Sicily right now, and Mount Etna, who is one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today,” she said, according to the outlet. “We have spent most of the day trying to get back to the United States and all of the airports are closed here, so I will be back as soon as I can.”

Goldberg, 70, added, “I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations — well, I think my story just takes the cake: A volcano ate my homework!”

Filling in was comedian Buteau, 48, who was originally scheduled to appear as a guest on the episode before being asked to step in as a cohost instead, per People. Buteau called the gig “the best booty call I’ve ever got. Now, I’m a host! This is not how I thought it would happen, but I’m so glad it did.”

Cohosts Sara Haines and Ana Navarro were also absent. “Ana is stuck in Miami because of weather. It’s always hot there, what’s the problem?” Behar said, according to the report. “Sara is dealing with storm damage.”

Navarro, 54, addressed her absence in her own Instagram video, on Sunday, July 5, explaining she’d been stuck at Miami International Airport for hours trying to reach New York for the taping. “There was a ground-stop in NYC tonight, and weather up the East Coast,” she wrote in the caption. “Pero lo qué será, será. Whatever will be, will be.”

In the video, Navarro concluded, “I’m sorry I won’t be there tomorrow. I’m sure the other ladies will have great, insightful things to say. We are going to bed because we are beat and exhausted. Take a little time to enjoy The View without me.”