Barbara Walters Page 3

Barbara Walters has named Caitlyn Jenner her ‘most fascinating person of 2015’, hailing her as a ‘symbol of hope for the transgender community.’ Walter’s annual list has previously been topped by the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Steve Jobs and is accompanied by an ABC special revealing her top 10 in full.

Barbara Walters has named Caitlyn Jenner her ‘most fascinating person of 2015’.  

"Our choice for the most fascinating person of the year was once called the world's greatest athlete," Walters said. "Traditionally, that title was given to the man who won the Olympic decathlon. When Bruce Jenner won it in 1976, it was a huge accomplishment. It had everybody talking.”

Continue reading: Caitlyn Jenner Is Barbara Walters' 'Most Fascinating Person Of 2015'

Jenny McCarthy has opened up on her departure from The View, explaining that she began to feel like she didn't fit in with the ABC talkshow's way of working. Speaking to Howard Stern this week, the former TV presenter discussed her life and career, addressing speculation over a rumoured acrimonious split from the show.

When asked by the radio star whether she had been fired, McCarthy replied "Yes and no," adding "I would call it: If I wanted to stay with Rosie and if I was a Republican I would still be there right now."

She revealed that her decision to leave was made during a "four-hour legal meeting" and after realising that she would have to "censor" herself too much on the show.

Continue reading: Jenny McCarthy Couldn’t Be Her "Full Self" On 'The View'

O’Donnell is Finally some good news from The View! Meet your new/returning panelist, Rosie O’Donnell. Well, to be fair, you’re probably familiar with the comedienne and author’s no-nonsense style and biting humor. O’Donnell co-hosted the View from 2006 to 2007 and her liberal views often clashed with her more conservative co-host, making for some of the liveliest discussion the show has seen in its history.

O'Donnell will make her long-term comeback to The View this coming fall season.

“The worst kept secret ever is Rosie is returning to the show — it’s definitely happening!” a source tells HollywoodLife.com. “ABC wants to make the big announcement of her return during the TCAs along with the other new members of the cast.”

Continue reading: It's (Almost) Official - ABC To Announce Rosie O'Donnell's Return To "The View" During Upfronts

Get ready for what might be the biggest television event in a long list of changes this month – Barbara Walters’ final episode of The View. 2014 is Walters’ retirement year, as she announced a few months ago and this includes a move away from her co-host chair on The View, which she co-created with Bill Geddie back in 1997. She co-anchored one of the longest-running newsmagazines, was host and producer of countless top-rated Primetime specials and is the creator and co-host of one of daytime's most successful talk and entertainment programs. Walters has interviewed eight US presidents and countless statesmen – more than any other US journalist. Today, May 16, marks not only her retirement from The View, but her move away from daytime television entirely.

Walters has been a staple of broadcast television for over five decades now and will continue to work behind the scenes.

ABC is planning a celebration in Walters’ honour, with her final co-host appearance on "The View" and a two-hour ABC Primetime special celebrating her life, both on screen and off. In addition, the channel has been hosting a week-long celebration starting from Monday, May 12 and ending today.

Continue reading: ABC Bids Farewell To Barbara Walters With Week-Long Celebration And Two-Hour Special

ABC News paid tribute to longtime TV personality Barbara Walters on Monday (May 12th).

Days before the 84 year-old news broadcaster retires, the television network renamed its Upper West Side headquarters to The Barbara Walters Building.

This honor recognises Walters' 53 year career in television journalism, in which she became the first female to anchor a network morning show.

Continue reading: ABC News Renames Upper West Side Headquarters In Honor Of Barbara Walters

Steven Spielberg, who has won practically every filmmaking award in existence throughout his career, adds another honor to the list this week. Spielberg has been named as the most influential celebrity of 2014 in Forbes' annual list.

47% of Americans consider Spielberg influential.

The list was compiled for Forbes by E-Poll Market Research out of a database of 6,600 celebrities. The results factored in 46 different attributes, based on E-Poll’s data of Americans. Factors like celebrities’ likeability and level of public awareness were used as tie breakers.

Continue reading: Forbes Names Steven Spielberg As Most Influential Celebrity Of The Year

Jennifer Lawrence, who has advocated for body positivity throughout her career is out on a mission again. In an interview with Barbara Walters, which the Oscar winner gave as part of Walters’ Ten Most Fascinating People Of 2013, Lawrence took on her latest target – the word “fat” being used in media.

Lawrence is one of Barbara Walters' most fascinating people of 2013.

"Why is humiliating people funny? I get it, and, and I do it too, we all do it. (But) the media needs to take responsibility for the affect that it has on our younger generation, on these girls who are watching these television shows, and picking up how to talk and how to be cool... " said Lawrence, via Hollywood.com.

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence On The Warpath: Stop Calling People Fat

The Television Critics Association Awards (TCA Awards), held in Beverly Hills on Saturday (3rd August) night, saw Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation and The Americans winning awards.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, the stars of Breaking Bad, at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and AMC celebration of Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad, the drama following a meth-dealing terminally-ill Chemistry teacher and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, won the top award as 'Program of the Year'. Game of Thrones was awarded 'Best Drama' and 'Best Comedy' was a tie between The Big Bang Theory and Parks and Recreation. The Americans won 'Outstanding New Programme'. 

Continue reading: TCA Awards: 'Breaking Bad', 'Game Of Thrones' And 'The Americans' Win

Jenny McCarthey is the first person to step into one of the places made vacant by Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar on The View. Show mainstay and creator Barbara Walters said upon the announcement of her appointment, "Jenny brings us intelligence as well as warmth and humor. She can be serious and outrageous. She has connected with our audience and offers a fresh point of view."

McCarthey will join the panel full-time soon

Following Hasselbeck and Behar's leave from the show this season, McCarthey will begin her co-hosting duties with immediate effect - having passed her on-air interview on the show when she was a guest panelist in June. She released a statement earlier today that read; “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining Barbara and the other amazing women at the table. I look forward to making hot topics a little bit hotter and showing my mom that my interrupting skills have paid off.”

Continue reading: Jenny McCarthey Fills In One Of The Spare Seats On 'The View' Panel

For those, who were hoping to kick off a career in daytime television, you better hurry up – one of the free seats on The View has been taken up by Jenny McCarthy, ABC announced earlier today. After both Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasslebeck left at the end of last season, the network has been scrambling to find worthy replacement and it looks like the comedienne fits the bill.

McCarthy launched her career in 1993 with a spread in Playboy.

McCarthy is no stranger to the daytime talk show world, having appeared on 17 separate episodes of the ABC format. Starting from September 9, she will be a full-fledged co-host alongside Whoopi Goldber, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters, who was rumoured to be gearing up for retirement in 2014, but denied any plans to withdraw, giving the paparazzi a snub in the process. After the latest lineup change was announced, McCarthy said she was “beyond thrilled” to be joining Walters and “the other amazing women at the table.”

Continue reading: The View Freshens It Up By Hiring Jenny McCarthy

Elisabeth Hasselbeck gave an emotional farewell on The View yesterday morning (Wednesday 9th July). The presenter is leaving the ABC morning talk show in order to join Fox & Friends. She will begin on the Fox talk show in September.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck at the opening night of 'Sister Act' in New York.

The View's presenters include Barbara Walters, Whoop Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd. Hasselbeck addressed each emotionally. She also referenced the behind-the-scenes team at The View who allowed her to work "efficiently".

Continue reading: Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Emotional Leaving Speech On 'The View'

Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been a presenter on ABC's morning talk show The View since 2003. It was announced yesterday (9th July) that she will not be returning to the show. Her last day on the show will be on Wednesday (10th July) according to an ABC spokesperson. It is uncertain who will take over Hasselbeck's position although TMZ  report there are rumours that Brooke Shields is in talks for the position.

 
Elisabeth Hasselbeck at The New York Arts and Leisure Weekend, the Times Center, New York. 

Hasselbeck's career was launched after she appeared on Survivor: The Autralian Outback in 2001. Since then she has acted as a presenter for The View and a judge on Miss USA. 

Continue reading: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Leaves 'The View' For 'Fox And Friends'

She’s engaged in many interview battles in her career, and had to fight plenty of health battles off the camera too, but Barbara Walters has finally called time on her 50 year plus career, which means she’ll be leaving The View, the show she created and has been hosting since 1997.

"I have been on television for over 50 years," she said on air as her co-hosts watched. "In the summer of 2014 I plan to retire from appearing on television." Reuters reports that she told viewers that the decision to step down was entirely her own. "This is what I want to do," she said as the audience applauded. "I've had an amazing career."

ABC of course had their own statement too, praising the 83 year-old and saying “There's only one Barbara Walters." ABC News President Ben Sherwood added "And we look forward to making her final year on television as remarkable, path-breaking and news-making as Barbara herself. Barbara will always have a home at ABC News and we look forward to a year befitting her brilliant career, filled with exclusive interviews, great adventures and indelible memories.”

Continue reading: View To A Retirement: Barbara Walters Calling It Quits On Her Career

It’s official – broadcast journalist Barbara Walters will retire from ABC, after a career spanning half a century.

The reports were first published by Deadline and The New York Times, but ABC refused comment on the news, CNN reports. The initial plan, according to Deadline, was for Walters’s retirement to be announced in May, giving the network an entire year to celebrate her career, before it officially ends in May 2014. These days, Walters is best known for co-hosting ABC’s the View, which she also co-created back in 1997, but in her career, she has built up an impressive portfolio of journalistic experience.

The 83-year-old Walters has interviewed every president and first lady since Richard and Pat Nixon and has built a name at ABC with the regular “Barbara Walters Specials” and “Ten Most Fascinating People” specials, the latter of which have become an annual end-of-the-year programme at ABC.

Continue reading: ABC Veteran Barbara Walters Is Set To Retire By Next Year

Bieber Blues: What is happening to Justin Bieber? The former loveable scamp appears to have become a target for the tabloids, especially the British ones. He endured a torrid time in London before cancelling a show in Portugal, apparently owing to poor ticket sales. Is this a crisis?

Credit Check: Ever wondered how much Ashton Kutcher has in the bank? How about Jay-Z, Mel Gibson, Hillary Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger or even Joe Biden. Well, one hacker - seemingly based in Russia - has posted the financial details of the world's biggest stars onto a hastily made website. Some of the numbers are big. Huge, in fact.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Justin Bieber Loses Fans? Elin Nordegren Finds Love? Miley Cyrus Single?

Barbara Walters has attempted to placate the intense rumors concerning 'The View,' with the veteran broadcaster insisting Elisabeth Hasselbeck will not be leaving the show despite reports that suggest her outspoken conservative views is putting off viewers. Deadline.com, Us Weekly and the Hollywood Reporter all report that Hasselbeck's contract will not be renewed, though Walters is adamant the 35-year-old will remain on the show.

"There is a particularly false story that keeps getting picked up about Elisabeth's alleged departure, saying that we don't approve of her conservative views," Walters, who created the long-running talk show, said on Monday's program. (March 11, 2013) "The truth is we love Elisabeth. I like her personally and she's just a wonderful person.But beyond that, we value and appreciate her point of view, it's important to us because Elisabeth helps give the show perspective and balance.So we have no plans for Elisabeth to leave."

ABC had previously released a statement saying that Hasselbeck "is a valued member of The View and had a long-term contract," though failed to address the issue of whether or not she will be offered a renewed deal. The controversial presenter joined the show in 2003 and became known for her heated arguments with liberal co-host Rosie O'Donnell. 

Continue reading: Is 'The View' In Turmoil? Barbara Walters Denies Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Exit

ABC’s The View will be one cast member short for a while, after it was announced that Joy Behar will be leaving the programme.

The ABC staple has been a part of The View since the very beginning 16 years ago, alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Every week the panel discusses the latest news and pop culture topics on the hour-long show. She will leave the show after the conclusion of its current season in August. Following the announcement of Behar’s departure, the network released the following statement: “Joy Behar has been instrumental in the success of ‘The View’ from the very beginning. We wish her all the best in this next chapter, and are thrilled that we have her for the remainder of the season.”

This move, however, is far from the end for Behar’s career. The 70-year-old TV personality is currently the host of her own show on CurrentTV, Joy Behar: Say Anything and will continue working on it for the foreseeable future. Additionally, she revealed some of her other plans in an interview with Deadline this Thursday – Behar plans to write a play and maybe return to standup comedy, which was her original medium before transferring onto television.

Continue reading: Daytime TV Staple Joy Behar Is Leaving 'The View'

Great news for fans of The View and great news for Barbara Walters! It’s been around six weeks since the star was forced to leave the show after being taken ill, but today (March 4, 2013), the host of the program made a triumphant and much-celebrated return to the ABC program.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, Walters has been missing from the show since January 19 after fainting and cutting her head while at a party in Washington. At the time she didn’t realize it, but the source of the incident came due to the fact that she had chicken pox; to add salt into the wound, the fall gave her concussion and she had to have six stitches put in. Resting up from both that and the chicken pox in New York, Walters finally returned today.

Greeted enthusiastically by her co-hosts Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar – and with a huge ovation from the studio audience too – the TV personality said that “after a lot of scratching and rest” she was feeling “fine and healthy.” As for the evidence of the 83 year-old’s fall, all that could be seen was a single chickenpox bump on her head and a tiny scar nearby it. Sounds to us like Walters is pretty much back on form, good on ya Babs.

Don't fret, Barbara Walters fans, your girl is doing just fine after taking a tumble at the inauguration party over the weekend. As was widely reported, the ABC News veteran fell on a staircase at the British ambassador's residence in Washington and was taken to hospital to be examined.

Little detail has been provided since, though Whoopi Goldberg - her co-host on The View - said on the show Tuesday, "Barbara went to Washington to cover the inauguration. She missed a step and had a fall, which cut her upper temple. The doctors stitched her up, and she is doing fine, but they want her to take it easy." Goldberg proceeded to read out a statement in which Walters said she wanted to "thank all the people who have called, written and been concerned about me," adding, "I am running a low-grade fever, and the doctors are keeping me in the hospital until my temperature is normal. I'm pleased to say that it is going in the right direction and I will be home soon."

Walters - who became the first female news anchor to earn a $1 million salary in the 1970s - was scheduled to cover President Obama's inauguration festivities on Monday (January 21, 2012), though had to pull out. 

Continue reading: Barbara Walters "Stitched Up And Doing Fine" After Inauguration Tumble

All is well with Barbara Walters after a scary fall left her with a cut head, but it would appear the 83-year-old is doing fine, and thanked fans for their concern. 

"First and foremost, I want to thank all the people who have called and written and been concerned about me. I'm most appreciative," said the 83-year-old Walters to E!. "I'm running a low-grade fever and the doctors are keeping me in the hospital until my temperature is normal. I'm pleased to say that it is going in the right direction and I will be home soon." The View co-host fell while visiting the British Ambassador's residence Saturday night in Washington, D.C, and was forced to pull out of hosting parts of the inauguration. 

"Barbara Walters fell on a stair last evening while visiting the British Ambassador's residence and the fall left her with a cut on her forehead," a rep for ABC News told E! News at the time. "Out of an abundance of caution, she went to the hospital to have her cut tended to, have a full examination and remains there for observation. Barbara is alert (and telling everyone what to do), which we all take as a very positive sign." Contact Music would like to wish Barbara a full recovery. 

We at Contact Music deal in the business of 'interesting people'. We write about them day in, day out, but there's one person that has anointed herself for the past twenty years as the right person to judge the top ten most interesting people of the year: Barbara Walters. 

For the past twenty years, Barbara Walters has hosted a special 90 minute show about the year's most interesting people. According to NY Daily News, those to make the cut this year include; E.L. James, journalist and woman responsible for the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy; Argo's Ben Affleck, whose rise to fame was most notably due to his collaboration with Matt Dillon on 'Good Will Hunting' in 1997; Teenage Olympic medal-winning athlete, Gabby Douglas; Comedy writer, creator of 'Family Guy' and the director of summer movie Ted, Seth McFarlane; UK boy band One Direction; and finally two opposing political figures, Democrat Hilary Clinton and Republican Senator Chris Christie. 

Neither the writer of poorly written fiction, nor an adolescent boy-band seem all that interesting to us, though Chris Christie, Ben Affleck and Gabby Douglas all seem like great choices. Plus, the best is yet to come, as Barbara Walter's top three interesting people of 2012 will be revealed on the show when it's broadcast on December 12th on ABC. Who do you think is the most interesting person of 2012? Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

Lindsay Lohan has backed out of her scheduled interview with Barbara Walters because the questions were going to discuss too much regarding her personal life and current police allegations, reports TMZ. 

Lindsay Lohan's escapades have been difficult to avoid knowledge of. Her face is everywhere, as are accounts of her wrong doings. However, she has avoided speaking to the press herself for a long time, that is until she finally agreed to an interview with journo veteran Barbara Walters. However, having got all of our hopes up she's dashed them to the wind by repealing her original choice. Ah well, perhaps it's a good thing? To cope with our disappointment we've come up with a pros and cons list 

Pro: Lindsay gets enough air time as it is, surely there's only so much time we can spend reading, writing and talking about her. An entire hour's interview with Li-Lo would fuel far too much conversation.

Continue reading: Pros And Cons Of Lindsay Lohan Backing Out Of Barbara Walters Interview

Barbra Streisand is now half-way through her triumphant homecoming, having performed to a sell-out audience at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre for the first time last night (October 11, 2012). The screen, stage and studio superstar will head back to her home town’s new massive concert venue for a second time tomorrow (October 13), before hitting the road once again as she continues her already massively successful Barbra Live tour.

Whilst blaSting out the hits last night, there was no shortage of famous faces in the crowd, with Barbara Walters, Jimmy Fallon, Sting, Katie Couric, Woody Allen, Michael Douglas and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg all spotted in the crowd. And if that wasn’t enough, the upper echelons of the fashion world also made an appearance at the show, designers Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors being spotted in the audience.

Streisand's ex-husband, Elliott Gould, was also at the event, in support of his and Barbara’s son Jason, who accompanied his mother on stage. Barbra introduced Jason to the audience as her “pride and joy,” before performing ‘How Deep Is the Ocean’ together.

Continue reading: Brooklynite Barbra Streisand Returns Home For Two Sell-Out Shows

Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey: a feud made in TV heaven, for the producers anyway. But now the rivalry has got so far – with Minaj threatening to shoot Carey – Nick Cannon has stepped in to give his opinion, reports The New York Daily News.

But it’s not the protective husband speech Mariah, and us, were perhaps expecting, with Cannon stating that he “wasn’t concerned” over Minaj’s supposed threat to “shoot” his better half. “I wasn't concerned," Cannon told E! News. "That's exactly what you called it was drama. With drama, it's theatrics. I'm not worried about that stuff." When he was asked about the supposed gun threat, Cannon laughed, saying: "I don't know. I wasn't there. It made for good news. It sounded good, right? Good job, Fox." His wife, Mariah, doesn’t seem so sure, and she’s reportedly beefed up the ranks of her security entourage, just be safe.

The controversy started (the gun controversy, anyway) when Barbara Walters told The View, “She said that when Nicki walked off the set, multiple people heard Nicki say, ‘If I had a gun I would shoot the bitch’”. Minaj has a history of threatening to shoot rivals: the 29-year-old super-star put out a lyrical hit on fellow rapper Remy Ma in a 2008 freestyle rap. Cannon is probably right; this whole thing has been blown out of proportion, and Fox are loving the extra exposure, but whilst gun threats are being bandied about, no one’s going to sit back and ignore it.

Mariah Carey has claimed that Nicki Minaj threatened to shoot her. The claims have been made public via Barbara Walters, who recounted a conversation that she'd had with Carey on the ABC show The View, regarding video footage of Nicki cussing Mariah during the filming of American Idol. Although the footage was not completely clear, Nicki could be heard referring to Mariah as "her f***ing highness and saying that she would no longer put up with her.

Fox News report that Walters had a phone conversation with Carey, who told her "when Nicki walked off the set, multiple people heard Nicki say, `If I had a gun I would shoot the (adjective unspoken by Walters) bitch." Apparently, after a meeting that both Nicki and Mariah attended, Nicki said to her newfound nemesis "I love you but we might fight again," to which Mariah answered "no, we will not." Walters also revealed that Mariah has felt the situation so severe that she has hired extra security, saying that she "doesn't feel comfortable, emotionally." She has said though, that she intends to continue with the show because she loves it and loves mentoring the contestants.

Nicki Minaj has been invited onto Barbara Walters' show to give her side of the story but has so far has responded with a string of Twitter posts, such as "Hey yAll. Lets just say nicki said smthn about a gun. Ppl will believe it cuz she's a black rapper. Lmao. I'll then hit up Barbara n milk it" and "I don't call tmz n Barbara Walters cuz I stand on my own two feet. Never needed an army. God is good. Insecurity is as cruel as the grave." American Idol has only been filming for a couple of weeks, though we've long known that Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj were likely to come to blows. If one of the two judges have already descended into threatening to shoot the other, though, heaven only knows what the live shows are going to be like!