‘The View’ Remembers Barbara Walters as “The Best Gossiper” Who “Loved A Dirty Joke”: “She Was Naughty”

Barbara Walters may have been one of the most renowned journalists of all time, but did you know she also relished a risqué joke? During today’s episode of The View, original co-hosts Star Jones, Meredith Vieira and Debbie Matenopoulos were welcomed back to the panel to reminisce on their time working with Walters, who passed away last week at the age of 93.

Video chatting from the Bahamas, Jones relived her memories with the trailblazer, who created The View in 1997. She said the duo was each other’s dates to Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ wedding in 2000. She also recounted how they “ended up at a dinner one night with Prince Albert,” where they had a “whole conversation” about “The Thong Song.”

“Everybody knows her as the brilliant, iconic journalist, but Barbara and Joy and Meredith and Debbie and I — we got to dish with this woman in ways that other people will never ever appreciate,” Jones explained. “She was the best gossiper. She had all the tea.”

She added, “She knew how to tell tales, and just drive the point home. I will miss that more than anything — because, girl, if you wanted to know the tea, Barbara Walters had it.”

Joy Behar then went on to reveal, “She also loved a dirty joke. She had one in particular which I can’t tell,” to which Matenopoulos echoed, “We can’t tell half of the jokes she told us on this show!”

Upon hearing about Walters’ affinity for a raunchy joke, Sara Haines admitted that when she compared the TV veteran with Behar, who is known for a head-turning one-liner every now and then, someone said Walters was worse.

“I was like, ‘There’s worse than Joy?’” a shocked Haines said.

Meanwhile, Matenopoulos jumped in, adding, “[Walters] was naughty. She was very naughty.”

To watch Behar continue to carry on the legacy of her former boss and co-host, tune in when The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.