Whoopi Goldberg Moderates ‘The View’ From Home As She Self-Quarantines After Doctor’s Visit
Whoopi Goldberg returned to The View on Wednesday, one day after being checked out by her doctors. But the 64-year-old actress and TV host decided to play it safe by conferencing into the ABC chatfest amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The View regulars Sunny Hostin and Meghan McCain braved the table alongside guests Sara Haines and Dan Abrams. Hostin announced Whoopi as the show’s “fearless leader” who was joining them from home as a precaution.
When asked how she is doing, Whoopi said she was “great,” then she explained why she opted to work from home.
“This what we call responsible social distancing,” she added.
Whoopi went on to say that while she got the “all clear” from her doctor to go to work, she decided to stay home due to ” inconsistent messages” about the pandemic from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“My brain said, until they can get themselves together, until they can figure out what they’re doing, I should not go in,” Whoopi explained. “I just felt like, with all this inconsistency, it wasn’t good for me.”
“I am great — this is what we call responsible social distancing.”@WhoopiGoldberg joins us from her home as a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/xjxUmGXSue
— The View (@TheView) March 18, 2020
On social media, fans of the Emmy and Oscar winner reacted to the unique work-from-home situation they never thought they would see on daytime TV.
“So happy you are taking precautions,” one fan wrote.
Others noted that they were “surprised ” by Whoopi “overreacting and staying home” after her doctors cleared her to return to work.
“She almost died last year from double pneumonia. I’d stay home too,” a fan wrote in defense of the daytime talk show’s longtime moderator.
An insider told Page Six that Whoopi is in fact being extra cautious right now due to last year’s near-fatal health scare. During her appearance on The View on Wednesday, Whoopi blasted those who refer to COVID-19 as the “Chinese” virus and said it is Mother Nature who caused the havoc.
Whoopi’s remote moderating comes as co-star Joy Behar continues to self-isolate as the virus spreads across the country. Behar, 77, is considered high-risk for complications due to her age, should she contract the virus.
The View and The Dr. Oz Show are the only daytime talk shows still in production in New York as the pandemic has forced the shut down of most TV productions and all Broadway shows. Oz was a guest on The View earlier this week.
The View isn’t the only live daytime show that had a work from home host this week. On NBC’s The Today Show, Savannah Guthrie anchored the morning news show from home after revealing she wasn’t feel well.
