Whoopi Goldberg Has Been Absent From ‘The View’ for a Week

The View‘s discussion table has been a little less crowded for the past several days amid long-time moderator Whoopi Goldberg‘s absence. Goldberg, who has been a staple on the morning talk show since 2007, has been missing from The View for a week now, leading to worry from more than just her fans, with Joy Behar recently admitting that she and her co-hosts are “so worried” about Goldberg.

Goldberg’s absence has been ongoing since Monday, June 21. Amid her absence, Behar has taken over in moderating the sometimes tense conversations that arise on the talk show, with Ana Navarro, who typically only sits in on Fridays, filling in as the fifth co-host throughout the week. Goldberg’s absence has sparked plenty of discussion among The View viewers online, where one person wrote, “Whoopi is still out……” Somebody else said they “need Whoopi back,” with a third viewer tweeting, “Where is Whoopi? What the hell.” Another fan said, “Bring back Whoopi next week a lot of us miss her.”

According to Goldberg’s co-hosts, her absence at the discussion table is due to sciatica. Kicking off the Thursday, June 24 episode, Behar said, “Good morning and welcome to The View. Whoopi is out again today with her sciatica problem.” She added that she and her co-hosts were “so worried about her at this point but I think it’s under control.” According to WebMD, sciatica refers to back pain caused by a problem with the sciatic nerve, a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. While most recover without any major intervention, extreme cases where pain persists for more than four weeks may require surgery. CheatSheet notes that Goldberg was previously out for sciatic pain back in 2015.

Although there is currently no word as to when Goldberg will return to the discussion table, viewers can be assured that she will come back. Speaking with Variety back in April, Goldberg said she is “there until I don’t think I can do it anymore.” For the actress, that time hasn’t come just “yet,” and “as long as they allow me to do both [acting and hosting], I can do it.” However, “the minute they say, ‘No, you can’t,’ then I have to figure out what to do.” Goldberg has been a The View staple for more than a decade, having first joined the ABC talk show in 2007. Her time on the show has earned her multiple Daytime Emmy Awards and even a win for Outstanding Talk Show Host.