Elisabeth Hasselbeck Leaving 'The View' With Joy Behar; Is Barbara Walters Next?

Since joining the show in 2003, Hasselbeck has been the show’s resident conservative, but Us Weekly reported that ABC determined audiences were so turned off by her right-wing views that they were beginning to tune out.

“The viewers they polled all said she was too extreme and right wing,” a source told Us Weekly. “People did not watch the show because of Elisabeth. So they told her [Thursday] that her contract would not be renewed.”

After replacing Lisa Ling, Hasselbeck, 35, carved her own niche on the show by frequently arguing with liberal talking heads, most notably Behar and Whoopi Goldberg. During the 2012 presidential campaign Hasselbeck was outspoken in her support for Republican candidate Mitt Romney, a matter that became a sparring point with Barbara Walters.

Before signing onto “The View,” Hasselbeck was a contestant on “Survivor: The Australian Outback” in 2001. She’s married to NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and had also written two books about gluten-free food.

When the news first leaked, an ABC spokesperson only told TV Newser, “Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a valued member of ‘The View’ and has a long-term contract.” Deadline Hollywood surmised ABC is gearing to relaunch “The View” with the exit of Behar and Hasselbeck, even speculating that Walters could be surrendering her seat behind the table in the near future.