Entertainment TV Joy Behar Reveals She Was 'Glad to Be Fired' from 'The View' in 2013: 'I'm a Powerful Person' Joy Behar has served as a panelist on the daytime talk show from its launch in 1997 until 2013, and again in 2015 until present day By Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein Twitter Joelle Goldstein is a TV Staff Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She has been with the brand for five years, beginning her time as a digital news writer, where she covered everything from entertainment news to crime stories and royal tours. Since then, she has worked as a writer-reporter on the Human Interest team and an associate editor on the TV team. In her current role, Joelle oversees all things TV and enjoys being able to say she has to watch The Kardashians, Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent for "work". Prior to joining PEOPLE, Joelle was employed at The Hollywood Reporter. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television-Radio (and an appearance in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four!) People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 27, 2022 04:56 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Joy Behar. Photo: Lou Rocco/Getty Joy Behar has no regrets when it comes to her time on The View — not even when she was briefly fired from her role in 2013. In a new interview with TIME, the 79-year-old comedian opened up about serving as a panelist on the daytime talk show from its launch in 1997 until 2013, and again in 2015 until present day. Speaking about her temporary firing in 2013, Behar said of the incident: "I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don't even remember why." Behar also discussed how she's been received by viewers over the years, claiming that "you have a power when you have that microphone. People don't like it." "They don't like it that I'm a powerful person on The View, saying things that they don't like, but I'm sorry, that is where I'm at," she continued. "I'm a powerful person on The View; I was a powerful person as a comedian holding a microphone. Too bad." Joy Behar Recalls the Moment an 'Honest Mistake' Led to Barbara Walters 'Firing' Her from The View It's that unbothered attitude that Behar says has kept her going, even as she approaches her 80th birthday. "I'm sort of on extra time now. I don't have to work. I don't have to be on television," she told TIME. "I don't have to have the microphone. They want to give it to me, I'll take it." The View cast. Robert Ascroft/ABC As for whether or not she'll miss the fame when her time on The View inevitably comes to an end, Behar told the outlet, "Not really. You know what they say — the show must go off." The View is currently in its 25th season, starring Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines. Originally created by Barbara Walters in 1997, the format has remained largely unchanged over the years: a multigenerational female panel discussing the day's "Hot Topics" and news. The View's Joy Behar Accidentally Falls Off Her Chair During Live Show: 'I'm a Klutz!' For her part on the show, Behar has been involved in her fair share of heated debates and controversy. And as she recently recalled, her termination in 2013 wasn't the only time that she faced a possible firing on the show. During Behind the Table: A View Reunion, which began streaming on Hulu last month, Behar recalled how Walters, 92, nearly fired her for accidentally leaking the news that Rosie O'Donnell would be joining the talk show in 2006. Per her recollection, Behar said Walters told her, "Joy Behar did that. And I want you to know that I'm not renewing your contract." Though Behar insisted it was an "honest mistake," Walters wasn't convinced by her colleague. "'You're a loose cannon, and I'm not renewing your contract,'" Behar recalled of Walters' reaction. "I said, 'Barbara, come on! It's like, no big deal here.'" She further relayed that Walters told her "No!" before hanging up the phone. "For a minute, I was stunned," Behar continued. "I was like, 'Really? For that?'" RELATED VIDEO: Joy Behar Backtracks After Mocking Miss America Contestant's Nurse Monologue Lisa Ling Says Joy Behar Told Her She Was 'Talking Too Much' on The View Despite occasions where Behar has been called on to make an apology for her words or actions, she previously told PEOPLE she has no plans to change who she is. "I've gotten in trouble a few times on the show," she said ahead of the show's 23rd season. "I've had to apologize, which I'm happy to do in order to save mine and everybody else's job. I don't care. Even if I don't mean it, I'll do it. Even if I look like I'm in a hostage takeover, I'll still do it, because if you don't do it, you lose your job and everybody else's." "My comedy has never been vicious or mean because my intent is just to make you laugh. That's all. I don't have any other motive," she added. "And so if the intention is in the right, and your heart is in the right place, I think that you can never really go wrong. I've offended people for sure, but whatever." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.