Joy Behar has been a staple on The View for nearly 30 years, but is it time for her to pack it up?
The comedian and talk show host recently marked her 82nd birthday on air, and while she’s been holding her own, a few followers shared messages saying that it was time for her to retire.
But is that really in her plans? And honestly, should it? As an OG member of the panel, shouldn’t she stick with the show as long as she wishes?
Here’s what we know:
Joy’s Big Birthday
Joy turned 82 on October 7, 2024, but a few days before, she had a special celebration with her co-hosts on The View. Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah-Griffin, and Ana Navaro all helped Joy begin her next trip around the sun.
As the ladies walked on stage, a huge birthday message for Joy was projected behind their table. The comic made a hilarious joke to start off the episode.
“I would tell you my age, but I think you might fact-check me,” she said.
During the episode, they had a few moments to celebrate Joy’s birthday, including an interview with her friend Nathan Lane. The iconic actor had a very sweet message for the talk show host on her birthday.
As Nathan got on stage, he turned to Joy, and he shared a birthday message. “By the way, you do not look whatever age you’re admitting to. You have looked the same since 1998. You’re the Paul Rudd of daytime television,” he quipped.
Of course, Nathan wouldn’t show up on his friend’s birthday empty-handed! “Because Joy is still a hot Italian woman, I have ordered Joy a hot Italian pizza,” he said.
Then, a good-looking pizza delivery man arrived on set. As he crossed the stage, he tossed the box and pulled off his shirt. He then proceeded to show off his sexy dance moves on the show.
Fans Tell Joy Behar to Retire
For another segment, Joy also had a tag sale for charity. She and her View co-hosts sold off a few collectible pieces of memorabilia to benefit The Retreat, an organization that helps domestic abuse victims.
After the clip was posted on YouTube, a couple of viewers chimed in to suggest that Joy should call it quits. “Happy Birthday Joy. You are getting OLD. [time] to retired [sic] dear,” one fan wrote. “Joy it’s time to retire,” another person commented.
Despite the suggestions, Joy still clearly has the energy to keep on filming The View. She regularly cracks jokes and weighs in on hot topics for the daily show. Even at 82, she seems just as ready to show up for work.
While there were a few naysayers, the overwhelming amount of comments were positive. “I can’t believe Joy is 82. She looks amazing!” one viewer said.
“She’s one of the most youthful acting 82 year olds I’ve ever seen, not to mention how good she looks too. She has some great genes,” another fan wrote.
What Has Joy Behar Said About Retiring?
Over the years, Joy has spoken about retirement on The View. In February 2023, she explained that she doesn’t think she’ll ever truly retire while discussing Tom Brady’s exit from the NFL.
“There’s no such thing as retirement for me, because I’m a creative person. So, I’ll do something else,” she said. “When I leave this show, I’ll do something else.”
In a more recent appearance on the Behind The Table podcast, Joy discussed the possibility of retirement with producer Brian Teta. A fan wrote a message to commend her on continuing to work in her 80s, and the comic explained when she’ll know it’s time to retire.
“Well you know you happen to be lucky with me in the fact that I will know when it’s time to go you don’t have to tell me and not because I’m not going to be doddering, old and on my behind but because it will be enough already,” she said.
Still, Joy explained that she’s still happy to be on The View. “At this point, it’s still interesting to me, the show,” she said.