Jenny McCarthy has finally addressed the long-running rumors about returning to The View—and she made it clear that it’s never happening.
The 53-year-old star got candid about her experience on the show during a recent episode of The Katie Miller Podcast, sharing why stepping back into the co-host chair is completely off the table.
From Lighthearted Fun to Political Pressure
Back in 2013, McCarthy joined The View for its 17th season alongside co-hosts like Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, and Barbara Walters.
She was initially brought on to add “light, fluffy, and fun” energy to the daytime talk show.
But McCarthy quickly realized the show’s direction was shifting.
“I wasn’t a political person back then, which is why I thought I was perfect for the job,” she said.
“But after a week, when they said they wanted to get political, I was like, ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do?’”
She recalled being asked to return for reunion specials over the years but responded with humor and finality: “Over my dead body would I ever step foot in that place.”
The Polarizing Role She Was Asked to Play
McCarthy explained that producers originally envisioned her as a pop culture commentator, covering topics like Dancing With The Stars.
However, her role soon required political commentary—a shift she found extremely challenging.
“They thought it was too polarizing back then, you guys,” she told the podcast host.
“They came into my dressing room and said, ‘Can you just act Republican so we have another point of view?’”
The transition to political content made “getting through that year” very difficult for McCarthy, who admitted the experience was far from what she had anticipated when joining the show.
Sherri Shepherd Remembers the Chaos
Sherri Shepherd, McCarthy’s former co-host, weighed in on the situation during her own talk show, Sherri.
Shepherd recalled the day the show shifted to politics:
“Jenny came into my dressing room just like that. She goes, ‘Sherri, oh my God, what am I gonna do?’ And I looked at her and said, ‘What are we gonna do?’”
Shepherd confirmed that McCarthy’s account was accurate, adding that producers had brought her on after focus groups wanted a calmer, less political atmosphere.
Shepherd even laughed recalling McCarthy wearing glasses on the show to look more “knowledgeable” about politics, joking that she looked more like a “sexy librarian” than a conservative pundit.
The Exit That Felt Like a Relief
McCarthy’s time on The View came to an end amid a cast shake-up.
She shared that when Shepherd was let go, she knew she was next and actually felt relieved.
“Thank God. It was a massacre,” she said, referencing the mass firings at the time.
Since leaving the show, McCarthy has stayed busy in television.
She’s been a judge on The Masked Singer since 2019, and the latest season premiered earlier this week with a double elimination episode.
Life Beyond The View
On the personal front, McCarthy is a mom to 23-year-old Evan, whom she shares with her ex-husband John Asher. She later married Donnie Wahlberg, older brother of Mark Wahlberg, in 2014.
Recently, she even opened up about some “bedroom challenges” with Wahlberg, showing that her candidness extends well beyond her professional life.
Despite her rocky experience on The View, McCarthy continues to maintain a strong presence on TV and in pop culture, proving that sometimes walking away is exactly the right move.
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