Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the wife of former NFL passer Tim Hasselbeck, is leaving The View after 10 years to join the set of Fox and Friends, according to reports. Today is Hasselbeck's last appearance as a panelist, and she will begin her new job in September.
Hasselbeck, who broke out on the reality competition Survivor, has long been a popular voice on ABC's The View, despite clashing with the rest of the women on the show politically at times.
Hasselbeck was more right-leaning than her co-hosts, and on Fox and Friends, her viewpoints will likely be more welcome. Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said Hasselbeck's, "warm and engaging personality made her a star" and called her an "excellent conversationalist." Hasselbeck will be replacing Gretchen Carlson, who is receiving her very own daytime television show on Fox.
Barbara Walters, the top dog on The View commented on Hasselbeck's departure saying, "When Elisabeth survived 'Survivor,' we wanted to make sure she would stay afloat. We have had 10 wonderful years with her and she will now be swimming in new waters. We will miss her and wish her everything good."
The View is going through a period of high turnover. Fellow co-host Joy Behar recently left the desk, and Walters is retiring from television altogether next year. Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepard remain, and former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy's name has surfaced as a possible candidate to replace Hasselbeck.
There were rumblings of Hasselbeck's exit as early as March, but at the time those rumors were vehemently denied by Walters, as were reports that Hasselbeck's political views made her unpopular with the rest of the women.
Her husband Tim Hasselbeck played in the NFL as a backup, starting five games in his career, compiling a 1-4 record. His brother Matt Hasselbeck was an NFL star for years with the Seattle Seahawks, but he also played for the Green Bay Packers previous to his Seattle days, and the Tennessee Titans in the twilight of his three-time Pro Bowl career.
Tim is now an analyst who appears on ESPN's Fantasy Focus Now with Matthew Berry, a pre-game show that doles out fantasy football advice prior to the start of each Sunday's one o'clock games.
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