Barbara Walters to Retire from Television After May 16 'The View' Appearance
Barbara Walters, a part-time Southampton Village resident, has announced her official retirement date, May 16, when she will co-host the show she helped create, The View, for the last time.
Walters will be honored later that day when ABC airs a two-hour primetime special on Walters’ life and career.
In March, Guild Hall of East Hampton honored Walters with a lifetime achievement award for Literary-Media Arts Award.
Walters announced in May 2013 that she would retire from The View and television hosting and interviewing in general in May 2014. For years, she has hosted ABC’s annual Most Fascinating People, and she formerly co-anchored Today. Walters was a regular co-anchor of 20/20 and this last year she resumed anchoring for the new Saturday edition.
The 84-year-old is not walking away from television completely. She will still be an executive producer of The View and will still be an occasional ABC News contributor when the need for her insight arises.
The Walters special will air at 9 p.m. EST on Friday, May 16.