Joy Behar Begrudgingly Celebrates 81st Birthday on “The View”: 'I'm Just Glad I’m Alive, Okay?'

The comedian previously stated she had no intentions of slowing down her career on 'The View' since its premiere in 1997

Joy Behar is commemorating her 81st birthday early with the help of her family on The View!

One day before she turns 81 on Saturday, The View's audience members and co-hosts began celebrating Behar from the moment she walked out onstage. Fans were standing and cheering as upbeat music played. There was also a big "Happy Birthday Joy" sign hanging up in the back.

But Behar appeared to be miserable the whole time. "It's Joy's birthday," said co-host Sara Haines as everyone applauded more.

Behar then buried her head into her hands, saying, "Oh, my God!"

Related: Whoopi Goldberg Reveals She Doesn't Go to Weddings — but Made an Exception for Joy Behar

"I know you hate to talk about your birthday," Ana Navarro chimed in. "But, 'Today is your birthday!'"

As Behar suggested everyone "just do the show," Sunny Hostin noted that Behar "doesn’t look excited."

"I can't get excited. I'm just glad I’m alive, okay?" Behar added. "You know, you get to a point where you wake up in the morning saying, 'I'm still here, my God!'"

Behar's birthday was brought up a few times during the hour-long program. Guest Anne Hathaway showered her with flowers while Haines, Navarro, Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin later auctioned off personal items with the birthday girl for charity in a makeshift 'tag sale' — a favorite of Behar's.

The episode ended with celebratory cannolis for the audience and a cannoli cake for the co-hosts from Veniero's Pastry. "They've been around since the year I was born, 1894!" Behar joked. "Please check them out because they deliver nationwide and I don't want to be the only one indulging today. Cannoli cream is the best!"

Last year, while approaching her milestone 80th birthday, Behar told PEOPLE that she had no intentions of slowing down her career as she heads into a new decade of life.

"I just signed a contract so I'll be here for a while," she said. "I have no plans to retire."

"It's really, you know, something that is an important show in many ways," she said of the daytime talk show, specifically. "Sometimes I don't believe that, as I've been here since the beginning, but we're the most-watched show in daytime. Most-watched!"

Behar concluded, "I'm happy to be a part of it. So no, I'm not going anywhere. I'm having a good time."

Related: Joy Behar Makes Sly Joke About Previously Being 'Forced' Off 'The View'

When she celebrated her 80th birthday on The View last year, the commentator wore the same chocolate brown suit she wore on the talk show 18 years ago in 2004. Behar explained that she’s kept the designer ensemble in her closet because it still “sparks joy.”

"I thought that was a suit you stole from my closet — 'cause now Joy steals my clothes!" Navarro said at the time. "But I wanted to ask, do you feel better about yourself today or 20 years ago?"

As Hostin marveled that her co-host looked "exactly the same," Behar disagreed and said: "I look younger."

But not much has changed otherwise, Behar said. "I'm a little grouchier. Noises annoy me more," she mused. "I've always been a little grouchy, it's my personality. I believe that negativity is funny, frankly. Positivity is not funny."

Related: Joy Behar Reflects on 23 Seasons at 'The View' : 'I've Gotten in Trouble a Few Times'

In an April 2020 episode of The View, the comedian, who’s been on the show since its 1997 premiere, denied rumors that she was considering retirement and shared that she had no plans of walking away from her gig.

“They’re always talking about me leaving the show, but I’m not leaving the show. Rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated,” she said.

“Here’s the thing, what am I going to do? This pandemic has changed the game!” she joked, referencing the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. “At one point you think, ‘Gee, I could retire and take a cruise around the world.’ I won’t even watch reruns of Love Boat at this point. So where am I going to go? What am I going to do? I need to be on television.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Behar also teased that her conservative rivals need her to keep espousing liberal ideas.

“Let’s not forget that I provide employment for right-wing media,” she said. “I’m a job creator over at Breitbart. Everything I say appears over at Breitbart! I don’t see how I could leave!”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.