There’s yet another feud brewing among the women who host ABC talkshow The View. In Touch claims to have insider information that some of the hosts on the panel are complaining about how often executive producer Barbara Walters talks about her bestselling biography, Audition. Joy Behar has a book that could really use the on-air publicity, and Sherri Shepherd has a new memoir coming out, but neither have been allowed to mention their books much and are complaining to higher-ups:

An insider tells In Touch that Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck aren’t happy that Barbara keeps using the ABC talk show to shill her memoir Audition. “Off the air, the co-hosts have complained to executives that the show has become an infomercial for Barbara,” says the insider. Adding to the annoyance? “Joy didn’t get to promote her recent book When You Need a Lift nearly as much, and Sherri has been asked to wait to announce her deal for her outn memoir, Permission Slips, until Barbara’s summer book tour is over,” says the insider. A rep for The View denies that there’s any tension over the book.

[From In Touch, print edition, July 14, 2008]

Barbara Walters really came off as a shrew while she was promoting that book. She rudely said to Ellen that ““I love you whether you ever read my book,” even though Ellen was praising different parts of the book and asking questions about it. Walters essentially dissed Ellen by suggesting she hadn’t read it.

There was also a controversy over the married US Senator she admitted having an affair with and the way she so candidly talked about the debacle with Star Jones getting freebies for her wedding by mentioning sponsors right on the show. Barbara also told Oprah that it was obvious Star had gastric bypass surgery, something Star had previously admitted, but said that it was ridiculous that Star kept insisting on air that pilates and diet were helping her lose weight so quickly. Of course Star deserves the criticism and she shot back with a rude ass response of her own. It seems that Barbara isn’t so different than Star and will use the show for her own purposes as much as she wants to.

I’ve watched The View both with Barbara Walters and without, and the interviews flow better when she’s not there. She asks rude questions and sits there like a smug queen. Whoopi really pulls that show together and adds a lot of humor. She should be in charge and Barbara should retire.

http://www.celeb*tchy.com/12798/view_costars_pissed_that_barbara_walters...