Elisabeth Hasselbeck Still Likely To Exit ‘The View,’ According To Report

Elisabeth Hasselbeck may soon be departing The View, despite Barbara Walters and others’ insistence that she’ll be holding onto her place at the round table.

“ABC is desperate to freshen the show. Ratings are going soft, and research numbers on the stars’ likability are scaring network execs, a source told Page Six. “Dumping Joy Behar, who was there 16 years, and Hasselbeck would be the fastest way to do it, they decided. After giving Behar the bad news last week and letting her bow out gracefully, someone leaked the Hasselbeck thing,” the source continued. “Some enemies she has on the show saw their chance to get back at her. Barbara was spitting mad that it got mishandled, and called off the firing over [last] weekend.

If Hasselbeck is in fact leaving The View, there are mixed reports as to when her departure will take place. A likely theory suggests that she simply won’t have her contract renewed when it’s up next year. However, others think that it could be earlier, as ABC tries to appeal to a younger demographic.

Regardless of whether Hasselbeck will soon be leaving an open seat on The View, there’s already one open from the departure of Behar that’s in need of a replacement. Brooke Shields was posed as a potential candidate last week, and Christie Brinkley is apparently attracted to the job. Ali Wentworth, comedienne and wife to George Stephanopoulos, could be a fitting replacement to stand-up comic Behar.

“But, just as they did with Live! with Kelly and Michael, they won’t rush. They’ll test out a number of hosts to see who works best with the women and the audience a rep for The View told the New York Post. “This was all addressed on Monday’s show. [Walters] is not the least bit angry. She loves these women and wants what’s best for them. Everything else is speculation. Producers haven’t begun to search for a new co-host. We have no further comment.”