Barbara Walters’ Final Appearance On ‘The View’ On May 16!

Barbara Walters has announced 16 May, 2014 as the day she would make her final appearance on ‘The View.’ The news comes a year after Barbara originally announced her plans to retire from daily television. According to ABC News, Barbara’s final appearance on May 16 would also coincide with ABC News naming their New York headquarters after her. On the same night, ABC will also air a two-hour long prime time special on Barbara Walters’ long career.

Walters would continue to operate behind the scenes as an executive producer for “The View” and would contribute to ABC News in the future as well. She would however retire from active on screen appearances.

Barbara Walters who is 84 now is amongst the most popular television personalities in the US and was once rated amongst the “50 Greatest TV Stars Of All Times” by TV Guide. She joined ABC back in 1976 and was the first female anchor on an evening news program. She went on to become the co-host of “20/20,” before she created and launched “The View”, back in 1997. Barbara was famous for her rivalry with her earlier co-host Harry Reasoner who wasn’t particularly impressed or happy to see his screen being shared with a lady. In an interview to AARP magazine she says;

“When I became the first woman co-anchor of a network news program, I was vilified. That did hurt me. I thought my career was over. No one wanted a woman, and they certainly didn’t seem to want me, and I had a co-host [Harry Reasoner] who really didn’t want me.” She was all praise for Roone Arledge, who was president of ABC News, at the time.

Walters also adds that she felt this was the correct time to call it quits. She adds that the kind of interviews that she used to do back in the days are no longer favored by viewers. “Nobody wants them anymore. You have three minutes of a morning show. That’s different from before,” Walters adds.

Barbara Walters seems to be all set to enjoy her life with the new found free time. The veteran TV host longs to “sleep till 9 am” as well – a thing she couldn’t do all these years. Barbara also wishes to spend her time going to museums and movies.

Over the course of the past week, two famous television personalities have announced their decisions to quit. Last week it was David Letterman who said he wouldn’t be hosting the Late Show after 2015.

Do you think the timing of Barbara Walters’ retirement was apt?

[Image via CBS Boston]