Suzanne Somers Says She Turned Down Co-hosting ‘The View’ With Barbara Walters


Suzanne Somers claims she was offered, and turned down, a co-hosting gig along with “The View” creator Barbara Walters.

“I was originally asked to be on the original ‘View’ with Barbara Walters and whoever, and I turned it down,” the actress, 76, shared during Wednesday’s episode of the “Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef” podcast.

“And they all said, ‘Why would you reject that? It’s a national spectacle,’” Somers recalled.

“I said, ‘First of all, I have to live in New York. I really don’t want to live in New York. I like the weather down here, and I like the vibe down here,’” she explained.

“But secondly, I don’t do well competing for time. And there, you have to interrupt and pry and pry. It’s just not my personality.”

Susan Somers
The actress said she was not interested in living in New York or “competing for time” on the morning talk show.
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Barbara Walters in "the view"
Walters created “The View” in 1997 and co-hosted it for 17 years.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The “Three’s Company” star said he “walked away from it” and “never looked back.”

ABC representatives did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. Walters died in December 2022 at the age of 93.


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Though the trailblazing journalist broke countless barriers in her 50-year career, her most treasured effort was “The View,” which premiered in 1997.

The morning talk show, which is still airing, features a diverse cast of panelists taking part in a roundtable discussion on politics, entertainment, family, and other hot topics.

Barbara Walters
The pioneering journalist died in December 2022 at the age of 93.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

After co-hosting for 17 years, Walters resigned from the show in 2014 but remained an executive producer.

“I don’t want to appear on another show or climb another mountain,” he told the Los Angeles Times in retirement. “Instead, I want to sit in a sunny field and admire the very talented women, and okay, some men too, who will take my place.”

Somers, for her part, is best known for her roles in sitcoms, including “Footsteps.”

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