Sara Haines admitted that one former The View cohost was tough to work with — and some fans of the morning show noticed while watching.
During the Wednesday, December 6, episode of the “Behind the Table” podcast, Haines, 46, discussed the panel’s dynamic over the years alongside guest — and superfan — Matt Rogers and show producer Brian Teta. Teta, 47, explained that while auditioning new hosts in 2022, he discussed his thoughts on Alyssa Farah Griffin with Rogers, 33.
“I will say, you ultimately made the right decision,” Rogers told Teta about adding Griffin, 34, to the panel, to which Teta agreed.
Rogers explained that he appreciated Griffin coming onto the show and calmly expressing her opinions.
“I really like that the conversations can be had, and without anyone — and I’m not going to name any names — without getting super defensive or personal,” the comedian said. “So that when you’re watching it, you don’t feel in a state of anxiety or discomfort.”
While Rogers didn’t identify the person he was talking about, fans were quick to assume he meant Meghan McCain, who previously held Griffin’s role as the panel’s conservative voice. Haines suggested that “uncomfortable” was the best way to describe the dynamic with past hosts, which Rogers confessed was “exactly” the thought he had.
“I had to take a step back from watching it because I just got anxious at the thought of the conversations that were going to be had. And I think that’s not good,” Rogers shared. “Even if you disagree, I need to hear [your point] to disagree with it, and then think about what I think. It got to a point where I was like, ‘Are we having conversations here or are we needing to manage each other, looking for buttons to push?’”
Haines, for her part, confessed that “it was as uncomfortable as you received it.”
Teta chimed in to say that Rogers could be talking about any one of the cohosts over the years, and Haines ultimately agreed.
Griffin joined The View alongside Ana Navarro in 2022 following McCain’s departure from the talk show. Throughout her five-year tenure on The View, McCain, 39, consistently butted heads with her cohosts over her views on many topics. Following her departure, McCain claimed that the set was a toxic work environment.
“I was working on the show as the only conservative during the Trump years,” she said to Variety in October 2021. “I felt like a lot of people took out their anger on the administration on me because I was the only person in the building who was a Republican.”
After McCain’s exit, Whoopi Goldberg confessed that the energy on the show had changed for the better.
“It’s calmer because nobody wants to be that tired every day,” Goldberg, 68, told Page Six in October 2022. “I think [the show], it’s better. I feel it’s better, but I’m still tired!”
