Whoopi Goldberg Credits Her 16 Years on ‘The View’ to ‘Respect’ for Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie (Video)

In the wake of TV producer Bill Geddie’s death, “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg has opened up about what has kept her on the daytime talk show for the past 16 years.

During the ABC series’ tribute to its late executive producer, Goldberg revealed that she first met Barbara Walters and her longtime producer once when the two were driving through Malibu for the series, “Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People.” Soon after, Goldberg, Walters and Geddie became friends. It’s through that friendship that the co-creators of “The View” first offered Goldberg her current hosting gig.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I need a job.’ You know? It’s nice when people offer you work. I was like, ‘Yes I’ll come.’ And here I be,” Goldberg said. “I remain out of respect to the show, and out of respect to the two of them who gave me a shot when no one else would.”

Goldberg was far from the only one who had something nice to say about the late Geddie, who died Friday of coronary-related factors. Co-host Sunny Hostin praised Geddie for believing in her when no one else did and for encouraging her to speak up on the series.

“He was the first person who believed I could be a national television host,” Hostin said. She also recalled the producer once told her, “You got it, but you’ve got to lean in.”

Ana Navarro commended Geddie on his “good leadership.” “He gave everyone a chance. He let us thrive. He let us be ourselves,” Navarro said. “He treated everybody with decency, and he built a family that is still together today.”

Sherri Shepard even returned to the series to share her memories of him. First hired in 2007, Shepard left the program in 2014. She recalled interviewing John McCain for “The View.” Originally, the plan was for each host to ask their own numbered question, but once the interview started, that plan went out the window. Shepard was so overwhelmed by the shift in strategy that she remained silent throughout the interview.

According to Shepard, Geddie called her later that night. “‘You sit at that table, you have an opinion, you jump in, you make yourself known,'” Shepard recalled. He was so harsh. I was like, ‘You’re not going to hug me?'”

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