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Why Is Jedediah Bila Leaving ‘The View’?


  • September 19, 2017

Jedediah Bila, one of the panelists on the daytime talk show The View, announced Monday that she was leaving the show effective immediately. Bila was a self-proclaimed political libertarian who had been on the show since August 2016.

Jedediah Bila at the Lance Bass Cover Launch Party.

Jedediah Bila attends the BELLA New York Lance Bass Cover Launch Party at Troy Liquor Bar on January 21, 2016 in New York City. | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

In explaining why she is departing, Bila said she has a number of opportunities coming up, and that she is writing a yet-to-be-named book which is due out with HarperCollins next year. One of her co-hosts then mentioned that fact that Bila is also getting married. On June 12, 2017, Bila had announced her engagement to boyfriend Jeremy Scher.

When announcing she is leaving the show, Bila stated that while she usually did not share the same political opinions with her co-hosts, she described them as her “friends no matter what.”

“I want to thank you because I’m a little eccentric and you put up with me, and this has been just an amazing journey and I appreciate all of you,” Bila told her co-hosts. “And I want to thank the viewers, even the ones that write me the hate tweets. This is what I’m here for. I’m here to shake things up in life and television.”

Bila said she wanted to thank “these ladies,” adding that she is friends with each of her co-hosts. “Sunny’s texts, Whoopi, you’re my inspiration,” she said. “Joy, when I need comedic relief, this is where I go, so we’re going to be friends no matter what.”

Jedediah Bila, her co-hosts from The View, and guess John Stamos.

The View hosts Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, guest John Stamos, Sara Haines, and Jedediah Bila pose on ABC’s The View broadcasting from Disney’s Animal Kingdom on March 6, 2017 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Todd Anderson/Disney Resorts via Getty Images

Co-host Joy Behar expressed similar views. “It’s great to have you here because we need to have somebody that disagrees,” she said. “I used to disagree with Elisabeth Hasselback all the time … it’s never been personal and that is good for the show.”

Bila also thanked those who tune in to the show. “I want to thank the viewers, even the ones who write me hate tweets, this is what I’m here for, I’m here to shake things up,” she added.

Various news sources, including CNN, have reported that former Fox News host Meghan McCain is in talks to join The View. The daughter of Sen. John McCain announced last week she was leaving Fox News.

Fans tweeted Bila well-wishes on Monday: