Joy Behar: "No matter how hard we try, these things happen." Photo / Supplied
Joy Behar: "No matter how hard we try, these things happen." Photo / Supplied
There were dramatic scenes on the latest episode of US talk show The View when two of the show's hosts discovered they had tested positive for Covid, moments before US Vice President Kamala Harris was due to join them on the panel.
The show was thrown into chaos live on-air when a producer was heard instructing panellists Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin to leave the set immediately.
"We need the two of you to step off, and we'll bring you back later. We'll tell you why later," the male producer could be heard saying.
Sunny Hostin (left) and Ana Navarro were ordered to leave the set. Photo / Supplied
The two left, leaving longtime View star Joy Behar to keep the show moving.
"So, shall I introduce the Vice President?" she asked.
Calls of "yes" and then a firm "no" could be heard from The View's floor crew.
After a commercial break, Behar filled viewers in on what was going on – "since this is going to be a major news story any minute."
"Sunny and Ana both apparently tested positive for Covid. No matter how hard we try, these things happen – they probably have a breakthrough case, and they'll be OK I'm sure, because they're both vaccinated up the wazoo."
In fact, both panellists later returned negative tests, suggesting their earlier results had been false positives. It's unclear why they were receiving results moments before the Vice President was due to join them on stage.
Kamala Harris eventually appeared via video link from backstage. Photo / Supplied
The last-minute Covid crisis threw the episode, which had been planned as an hour-long chat with Harris, into disarray.
Behar and fellow host Sara Haines spent one segment taking questions from the audience, as the show's crew scrambled backstage to organise a video link for the Vice President to appear on rather than joining them on the desk.
Asked by an audience member about memorable moments in her lengthy TV career, Behar quipped: "This one."
"I mean, one thing about working in television is there's never a dull moment," she said.
Eventually, and with just 10 minutes left in the hour-long program, Harris joined the remaining hosts via video link for a brief interview.
Here's @AnaNavarro on @AC360 confirming that she has now tested negative for Covid, twice, since that initial positive result caused chaos on @TheView this morning. She is waiting on another test result... pic.twitter.com/EZlGrZxncE
"We did everything we could to make sure that you were safe because we value you so much," Behar told the VP.
"Sunny and Ana are strong women and I know they're fine, but it really also does speak to the fact that they're vaccinated, and vaccines really make all the difference because we would be concerned about hospitalisation or worse," said Harris.
