Deborah Roberts Honors ‘Mentor’ Barbara Walters

Barbara Walter’s death has rocked the lives of those who knew, worked alongside her, and watched her work in admiration from a distance. Walters, who made history as the first female co-anchor of the Today show, died at the age of 93 on Dec. 30. She’d recluded from the spotlight after leaving The View, a show she created, in 2014. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Walters attended Sarah Lawrence College and graduate with a Journalism degree. Her goal was to be a writer. She spoke openly about how she ended up in the broadcast world by chance. She later appeared on ABC’s Evening News, sparking controversy for leaving NBC for ABC and her $1 million salary at the time. Walters made a name for herself on the series 20/20, where she sat down for many iconic celebrity and political interviews, including Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, and Robert Kardashian Sr. to name a few. She created The View in 1997. It’s since become a cultural phenomenon, and is lauded as one of the greatest daytime television talk shows in history. One person who had the pleasure of working with Walters personally is Deborah Roberts.

In a tribute post to Walters on Dec. 31 to her Instagram account, Roberts recalled Walters personally asking for her to be her co-host. “So saddened to hear of the passing of my journalism mentor and friend, Barbara Walters. I’ll never forget the phone call I got from her asking me to join her @abc2020, a show I revered and watched since my days as a teen in Georgia. She taught me so much and took me under her wing. We’ve lost her at age 93. But her powerful legacy lives on in all the women journalists who were influenced by her passionate work and searing interviews. She paved they way. Rest in peace Barbara,” Roberts captioned a photo of her with Walters.

Roberts’ husband, fellow Today anchor and meteorologist Al Roker, also shared his condolences. “I know @debrobertsabc treasured her relationship with #barbarawalters A mentor, a friend, and a trailblazer,” he wrote in a post of a series of photos with Roberts and Walters.

Walters had one daughter, Jacqueline. She and her then-husband Lee Guber adopted Jackie in 1968 after Walters suffered several miscarriages. “I adore my daughter,” Walters told Oprah Winfrey in an episode of her popular Master Class series. “To know that you can have this kind of love that I feel for her.” She also once said she wanted to be remembered as a loving mother to Jacqueline.