ABC Denies Meghan McCain Departure Rumors, Says They “Expect Them All Back” on ‘The View’

Despite a report from The Daily Beast‘s Lloyd Grove that Meghan McCain is considering leaving The View, an ABC spokesperson says that the daytime talk show plans to return all five co-hosts for Season 23. “The co-hosts and The View have had an incredible season, and we expect them all back for an epic year ahead,” a network representative told Decider.

ABC’s statement comes in response to a Daily Beast story about McCain “feeling like a caged animal” after two years of on- and off-screen drama at The View. Sources close to the conservative firebrand claim that she is “seriously considering” exiting the daytime talk show, particularly as negative news coverage continues to leave her feeling “so exhausted and defeated.” Said one friend of McCain’s, “It’s getting to the point where it’s not worth the emotional toll every week. If she doesn’t stay at The View, she will find other work.”

The View‘s senior executive producer, Hillary Estey McLoughlin, echoed ABC’s sentiment. “We don’t want people to attack Meghan. We’re happy to have Meghan there,” she told The Daily Beast. “I think she does want to be there. I think she wants to be on the show. She realizes it’s a very good platform for her and we love having her there. I feel like she will come back.”

However, McLoughlin also said that she understand why McCain frequently makes headlines. “What happens with Meghan is that because she’s so passionate about what she’s talking about,” she said, “and she feels very strongly that she’s carrying this mantle for the conservative perspective, and what she wants to talk about is so important to her, I think that’s the part that’s the most draining for her.”

The View wraps its twenty-second season this summer. Season 23 is expected to premiere in September, although no official premiere date has been announced. Hopefully, McCain will be there alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Abby Huntsman when the cameras roll.

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