Why Elisabeth Hasselbeck Quit the TV Business

Elisabeth Hasselbeck co-hosted 'The View' from 2003 to 2013 and 'Fox & Friends' from 2013 to 2015 before leaving to focus on her family.

By Megan Behnke

Why exactly did longtime TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck quit the business? After competing on the second season of Survivor and coming in fourth place in 2001, Hasselbeck served as a co-host on The View from 2003 to 2013. She became quite known for her conservative views on sociopolitical issues and her controversial takes. After her time on The View, she then co-hosted Fox & Friends from 2013 to 2015 until deciding to leave the television business.

In 2015, Hasselbeck made the emotional announcement on air, explaining she wanted to put her career on hold to focus on her three children. "I am taking a new position as CBO -- chief breakfast officer -- at our house with the kids, and that does mean that in about a month, I'll be leaving my FOX News family," Hasselbeck shared. "I'm in a season where the kids need the best of me, not the rest of me. This is a really, really hard decision, but I know it is the right one, and I thank you all at home for understanding."

ABC's "The View" – Season 23
(Photo:

THE VIEW – 3/20/20"The View" taped without a studio audience due to concerns over coronavirus on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 on ABC's "The View." "The View" airs Monday-Friday, 11am-12pm, ET on ABC. VW20(Photo by Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images)ELISABETH HASSELBECK, JOY BEHAR, MEGHAN MCCAIN

- Lou_Rocco)

"Oftentimes, the most difficult decisions are between two great things," Hasselbeck said in a formal statement. "Throughout my 14 years working in television, I have never experienced a more positive and thoughtful atmosphere than FOX News Channel, thanks to the strong leadership of (FOX News Chairman & CEO) Roger Ailes, who has created the best working environment a woman and mother could ask for."

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Hasselbeck shares three kids with former NFL player and ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck. At the time of her announcement, all three of their kids were under 11 years old, so it's not surprising that she would want to be with them and raise them as much as she could before they were all grown up. Since departing The View in 2013, Hasselbeck returned as a guest co-host on a few different occasions, most recently in 2022, as part of the show's 25th anniversary.

While Elisabeth Hasselbeck has made a few returns to television, there doesn't seem to be anything indicating she plans on making a full-time comeback to her career. She did leave for a pretty good reason, and it's possible once all her kids fly the nest, she'll be back. She does seem to be doing just fine, however, and as long as she makes occasional returns to either The View or Fox & Friends, that will definitely be better than nothing. Maybe she can even compete in an all-star season of Survivor someday.

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