Sara Haines will return to “The View” in September as co-host for Season 24 of the ABC talk show Overnight, Variety has learned.
Haines, 42, is no stranger to the Hot Topics table. She served as a “View” co-host for two seasons – from the fall of 2016 to the summer of 2018 – where she presents her takes on the headlines of the day, pop culture and celebrities. For “The View,” Haines had served as a life anchor for “GMA Weekend.”
A representative at ABC declined to comment.
Haines will fill the seat at the table left by Abby Huntsman, who will leave the show in January 2020.
In recent months, Haines has occasionally starred in ‘The View’, which has had its co-hosts – Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Meghan McCain and Sunny Hostin – participate in virtual debates from home because of the coronavirus.
Election years have always led to increases in the viewership of “The View.” The talk show’s ratings have generally gone up during Donald Trump’s presidency, as viewers have voted to make sense of the latest scandals coming from the White House.
When Haines first arrived at “The View” in 2016, the show struggled to forge a new identity after a revolving door of co-hosts and the retirement of creator Barbara Walters in 2014. Haines was appointed to the show as Ben Sherwood, president of the then Disney / ABC Television Group, had the idea to recruit more “GMA” talent – including Paula Faris – to “The View.”
Then, in 2016, Sherwood and ABC News mandates that Haines leave “The View” for a third hour of “GMA,” called “GMA Day,” with Michael Strahan. The new offer – later touted as “Strahan, Sara and Keke” (featuring Keke Palmer) – flopped in reviews and was canceled in March, leaving Haines without a TV at home.
In the early days of “The View,” Walters thought her talk show might have survived one or two panel changes. But over its 23-year history, “The View” has had almost as many cast shake-ups as “SNL.” Haines is the third co-host to attempt a comeback.
In 2014, Rosie O’Donnell attempted a second stint on “The View”, after a successful stint as moderator in 2006-07, which lasted five months before she stopped. And in 2015, Behar – who was fired from ‘The View’ in 2013 when performers foolishly thought the show had become too political – returned, helping here in a successful post-Walters era.
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