‘The View’: What to Know About Sara Haines’ Exit Ahead of Her Return for Season 24

The View fans had reason to celebrate on Friday after it was reported that ABC is bringing Sara Haines back for the daytime talk show. Haines became available after the network canceled Strahan, Sara and Keke to replace it with a Good Morning America news program. Ultimately, the 42-year-old Haines only missed two seasons of The View before being pulled back in to rejoin Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Unlike other departures from The View, Haines’ was peaceful. After appearing on the show from 2016 to 2018, ABC picked the former Today Show contributor to join Good Morning America co-host Michael Strahan to host GMA’s third hour. Hustlers star Keke Palmer joined the show in August 2019. The show was taken off the air in March, replaced by Pandemic: What You Need to Know, a daily program on the coronavirus pandemic. In July, ABC confirmed Strahan, Sara and Keke would not be coming back at all, with GMA 3: What You Need to Know permanently replacing it.

Haines’ return will finally bring The View back to its traditional set-up of five co-hosts. After Abby Huntsman left earlier this year, The View was left with only four hosts. Since Haines was now available and is already familiar to fans, asking Haines to come back was an easy decision. The move was reported by Variety, although ABC has not confirmed. While we wait for The View Season 24 to begin this fall, here is a look at Haines’ exit and her relationship with the show.

The last episode of Haines’ first run aired in August 2018

Haines has been a familiar face to morning television viewers for a decade now, having started at NBC’s Today Show before joining ABC News‘ Good Morning America in 2013. While at GMA, she also frequently guest-hosted on The View before she earned a permanent seat at the table in September 2016. The last episode of her first run aired in August 2018 and it was an emotional hour, including a highlight reel from Haines’ time on the show.
“It has been an honor, a privilege, and an absolute dream to work here at this show,” Haines told her co-hosts. She said she became “lifelong friends” with the show’s behind-the-scenes team and called her co-hosts “TV gold” and “strong, empowered, opinionated women.”

Haines hosted Good Morning America’s third hour with Michael Strahan

In July 2018, ABC News announced plans to launch a special third hour of Good Morning America with Haines and Strahan as hosts. Initially, the show was a replacement for The Chew and aired at 1 p.m. ET as a pre-taped talk show. However, the show underwent several changes, even before the coronavirus pandemic. It launched as GMA Day, then began GMA3: Strahan & Sara. When Haines went on maternity leave, Palmer was brought in and since she was popular with viewers, Palmer joined full-time. At that point, the show was renamed again, becoming GMA 3: Strahan, Sara & Keke.

‘SSK’ was formally canceled in July but had been off the air since March

When the coronavirus pandemic began, SSK was replaced with Pandemic: What You Need to Know, a daily program of ABC News coverage dedicated to the crisis. This later evolved into GMA3: What You Need to Know so ABC News could include other topics, with Amy Robach as the anchor. In early July, ABC confirmed SSK was canceled. “We’re proud of our teams at SSK and GMA3 and how quickly they transitioned to producing a daily show to give people the news and information they need during an unprecedented pandemic, and conversations continue about how the show will evolve in the months ahead,” a network spokesman said.

Haines was featured in ABC News ‘What Would You Do?’

Although Haines’ show was taken off the air, she continued to contribute to ABC News programs over the summer. In July, she appeared in an episode of What Would You Do?, in which she discussed her experiences with depression before and after her son was born. Haines and husband Max Shifrin have three children, Alec, Sandra, and Caleb. Haines said she experienced postpartum depression for about a year and Shifrin suggested she see a therapist, which “helped a lot.” She added that everyone can help a new parent during a difficult time in their lives. “It’s the power of just one human to say, ‘I see you,’ and validate the struggle,” she said.

Haines filled in for Sunny Hostin on ‘The View’ in March

Haines was also never a complete stranger at The View. In March, during one of the last episodes filmed in the studio before the pandemic, Haines filled in for Hostin, whose grandmother passed away recently. “This place is such a magical place, I’ve always said that. When you walk in the door, the hugging train … it’s a special staff here,” Haines told her co-hosts. “Once a View host always a View host,” McCain told her. After SSK ended, Haines filled in as a guest host on The View occasionally, filming from home.

Fans wanted Haines to come back to ‘The View’ the moment ‘SSK’ was canceled

After SSK‘s cancellation was confirmed, The View fans instantly took to Twitter, calling for Haines to come back to the show. Some even wondered if there was a petition to get Haines back, but it turns out it was not necessary. Variety reported on Friday that Haines will be coming back to the Hot Topics table. She will be the third View co-host to come back, following Rosie O’Donnell’s brief return in 2006-2007 and Joy Behar’s more successful return in 2015.