The View’s hosting lineup has been largely in flux in the year or so since former panelist Meghan McCain exited the show to embrace her new role as a mother. But when the ABC daytime hit debuts its newest episodes in the fall, it will come equipped with not just one new permanent fixture, but two of them, with both former White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro being promoted to full-time co-hosts for Season 26. While Griffin is no stranger to The View stage, having served as a guest host for quite a few episodes this year so far, she’s certainly open to taking guidance from others who have filled the role, and revealed she received some pertinent advice from fellow conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
With rumors of Alyssa Farah Griffin’s hosting gig circling in the weeks ahead of the news’ confirmation, The View most recently had her in full focus during the final week of July’s episodes for the “Ladies Get Lit” week. Elisabeth Hasselbeck, meanwhile, returned for the first time in over two years just one day before Griffin and Navarro’s big announcements. Speaking with People, Griffin shared that she specifically reached out to Hasselbeck ahead of things going public, saying:
I had a fabulous conversation with Elisabeth. I was a huge fan of hers; we're both Christians, we're both people of faith, and I watched her for so many years, so that was the dream person I wanted to talk to ahead of the announcement.
The topic of faith was certainly a key point of the discussion during Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s latest appearance on The View, as she definitely had her children’s picture book Flashlight Night on hand to promote, and was quite vocal during the multi-segment conversation geared toward abortion and Roe vs. Wade being overturned. Those are no doubt the kinds of conversations that Alyssa Farah Griffin will also get into during her time on The View, where she’ll likely take opposing sides to the show’s more liberal co-hosts like Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg.
The actual advice that Griffin got from Hasselbeck seems like it would be utilized best during tense and difficult conversations (even though those instances usually end with View hosts yelling over one another). Here’s what the former View panelist told the newest addition:
She said, 'Own your chair. You are not there just representing yourself, but [also] conservatives or right-of-center people, many in the middle of the country, who often feel like their voices aren't heard. So [stand] firm in your convictions, but be gracious in your delivery.’ And that is what I'm trying to do.
It’s one thing to hear someone say to “stay gracious” and mentally file that advice away, but it’s a whole other thing to actually put those words into effect while in the heat of any given moment. As someone who has spoken on behalf of former President Donald Trump in various capacities, Alyssa Farah Griffin is obviously capable of holding her own when it comes to keeping her poise in public. But again, this is The View, where hosts sometimes say things they end up regretting, especially when such words spark someone’s suspension and/or the show getting hit with cease and desist letters.
In any case, it's hard to argue against the value of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's wisdom, since she's been there before for the long-term, and is aware of how things can go both right and wrong during emotionally charged segments. Maybe she should keep a megaphone hidden somewhere just in case, though.
Find out how how things will play out when The View welcomes Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro as full-time hosts for Season 26’s premiere on ABC, which will air on Tuesday, September 6. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the horizon.
