Jenny McCarthy Could Replace Joy Behar on 'The View'; We Rank the Hosts From Least to Most Controversial

Vieira was one of the first hosts of the view, coming from respectable news shows like 60 Minutes. She left after six years on the show to fill in for Katie Couric on Today and to fill in for Regis Philbin on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?. In fact, the co-host was so even-keeled, TV still wants her back — Vieira has just been given a daytime talk show on NBC. Seems Vieira's most controversial move was leaving television in the first place.

The creator and co-host of The View, Walters has said that she'll remain executive producer of the show until it goes off the air. When asked how much longer she'll be hosting The View, Barbara said that she'll be off for good in May 2014... which means we'll be privy to more confessions like the co-host's heart surgery or affair with a married senator.

The comedienne seemed an innocent pick — she already had spent her career making audiences laugh with her on series like Suddenly Susan and Everybody Loves Raymond. But Shepherd only made audiences laugh at her when she joined The View and theorized that the Earth could indeed be flat. Add to that the fact that Shepherd copped to never having voted in an election, and viewers began to wonder if Shepherd was the right choice to represent intelligent women with views.

The former MTV intern had a chance meeting with Barbara Walters... and ended up getting a co-host gig on the show. She was criticized by audiences for not having enough journalism experience and even had Saturday Night Live impersonate her as a far ditzier version of herself. She was replaced after two years of being on the show in 1999 (read: abruptly fired) by Lisa Ling.

Joy Behar — who will be leaving her hosting gig after 16 years — didn't always get along well with her co-hosts. Star Jones and Joy Behar have had an ongoing feud for years. When Jones called into the show to talk about a recent operation she had, Behar brushed her off on air with a, "Keep your tits perky!" Jones fired back with "Even today, you are still a bitch."

Lisa Ling took over for Debbie Matenopoulos, lending more journalistic integrity to The View. Still, Ling confronted scandal for her comments post-9/11. When discussing US retaliation for terrorism, she said: "Maybe before we seek revenge, we should ask the question: 'Why should anyone want to make such an attack on the U.S.?'"

One of The View's original co-hosts, Star Jones didn't part ways with the show under good terms. And it all started with a little gastric bypass surgery. Jones had asked her co-hosts to keep the surgery a secret, and insisted on-camera that her weight loss was all due to diet and exercise. Her co-hosts felt that Jones wasn't being honest with an audience who had come to expect the truth from the panel, causing a rift between the cast. After her contract was not renewed for the show's ninth season, Jones said that she felt like she "had been fired"... which got creator and co-host Barbara Walters mad enough to actually fire Star Jones. It seems that Jones and Walters are on good terms now — Jones came back to briefly co-host the show in 2012.

Whoopi joined the women following Rosie O'Donnell's split with The View. The actress made some controversial statements during her time on the show, especially when she defended Michael Vick, saying his involvement in dog-fighting was "a part of his cultural upbringing." She also came under fire for saying that Roman Polanski was not guilty of "rape-rape," and that Chinese people are known for eating cats.

The Survivor contestant won a job on The View after Lisa Ling left, and brought a more conservative viewpoint to the talkshow. The right-leaning reality star invited controversy when she stated her point of view on abortion and, specifically, the "morning-after-pill" being sold over-the-counter. She also got into a heated debate with Rosie O'Donnell over the war in Iraq, which led to O'Donnell's exit from the show. In case you need a refresher, watch the cringe-worthy TV moment here.

Rosie O'Donnell insisted that she didn't want to "argue for a living," though it didn't stop her from stirring up controversy while on The View. O'Donnell's outspokenness drove ratings up. Unfortunately, it also drove her co-hosts, the conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Star Jones, absolutely insane. O'Donnell, quickly ditching her Queen of Nice reputation, was one of the hosts who refused to shush up about Jones' gastric bypass surgery, and was never one to shy away from sparring with Hasselbeck over their conflicting political views. And then there was her feud with Donald Trump, her condemnation of the war in Iraq, and that whole insensitive Asian impersonation... It's a wonder O'Donnell lasted as long as eight months on The View.