Some of TV's most dependable rivalries in recent years have been front and center on ABC's The View, but things could potentially become less nerve-grinding in the topical chat show's future now that Meghan McCain is making her exit going into the fall. Of course, that only holds true if the network replaces McCain with someone who won't dive right into butting heads with cohosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. Before making any permanent replacement choice goes, though, it seems like The View will utilize a guest-host plan similar to how Jeopardy! has handled filling its Alex Trebek void.
Rather than racing around and trying to secure a permanent substitution for Meghan McCain, ABC will reportedly first bring in a variety of guest hosts after the conservative host's exit later this year. According to Page Six, the main goal is finding the "right person" to take over that particular slot, as opposed to just filling the seat as quickly as possible. It doesn't sound like anyone is facing any major pressure at this point, which definitely isn't always the case when it comes to major talk show exits like this.
At this point, it doesn't appear as if ABC is ready to go public with a list of guest hosts just yet, but fans can probably expect a mash-up of different personalities, very much like the revolving door of guest hosts that Jeopardy! has welcomed to the stage in 2021. Of course, The View's guest host round-up will include a bigger bevy of right-leaning potential replacements, and it'll certainly take someone with a strong personality to take Meghan McCain's place. Regardless of one's opinion of her (or any of the show's hosts), it's not the easiest and most stress-free gig to sit in that particular spotlight on a daily basis, especially when tempers are flaring.
The list of guest hosts will reportedly feature some more well-known personalities, but not everyone will be a familiar face to the masses. It all depends on whose point-of-view is the one that can be complemented by the others. While fans and the rumor mill have held past guest host Ana Navarro up as a solid choice to replace Meghan McCain, Page Six also stated that Navarro's permanent involvement would be a major financial investment for ABC. Because she lives in Florida and not in New York where The View films, she would allegedly need to see more dollar signs to make the new gig worth the travels. McCain claimed the eventual shift back to in-studio filming is part of the reason behind her exit, as she has no interest in making those trips as a new mom.
To date, Jeopardy! has featured 13 guest hosts on the long road to finding a more permanent replacement for Alex Trebek. It's obviously a lot harder to properly replace someone who hosted a show for 37 years as opposed to four years, but change is almost always messy. Speaking of, over on The Talk, longtime co-host Sharon Osbourne exited after her controversial situation regarding Piers Morgan and Sheryl Underwood, and was recently replaced with Jerry O'Connell, of all people. Here's hoping The View can possibly find some similarly inspired choices going forward.
While waiting to hear more about who'll fill Meghan McCain's chair on The View, keep track of all the awesome new shows hitting the 2021 Fall TV schedule.
