Former ‘The View’ Co-Host Returning to Talk Show

The View is welcoming back a former co-host to the table on a temporary basis. Elisabeth Hasselbeck will return to guest co-host the Wednesday, Aug. 3 episode of the ABC talk show, PEOPLE confirmed, after previously appearing on the show from Seasons 7 to 16 from 2003 to 2013. Hasselbeck, who previously held the conservative seat on the panel, called it an “honor” to return to her former show, confirming reports of her return were “true” on Instagram.

“It will be an honor to cohost The View, share our bestselling children’s book, ‘Flashlight Night,’ and as always tackle hot topics!” the 44-year-old told PEOPLE. “Pray for me y’all!” Hasselbeck has returned before to guest co-host The View after her exit in 2013 but spoke candidly of disputes on the show, including with former co-host Rosie O’Donnell, in her 2019 book, Point of View: A Fresh Look at Work, Faith, and Freedom.

“It was called The View, as in definite and singular,” she wrote in the book. “Yes, there were bonds of friendship formed around the table despite opposing views, but there were also bonds broken because of those differing perspectives.” She continued of her exit from the show, “Like a fighter after ten rounds in a ring, I was exhausted from holding one side of the issue alone, though happy to do it, and I needed the faces of my kids to be close to mine as soon as possible.”

Following her departure from The View, Hasselbeck took a job on Fox and Friends replacing Gretchen Carlson, a job she revealed The View founder Barbara Walters helped her get. “Working for and with Barbara Walters remains one of the most educational times of my life,” Hasselbeck wrote in her 2019 book, adding, “When I arrived at The View, I was newly married, in my mid-twenties, and really inexperienced when it came to television, politics, and debating. By the time I walked out of the building on that last day, I had three children, and thanks to her, a wealth of experience.” Hasselbeck returns to The View on Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.