How The View paid tribute to Barbara Walters in first live show since her death

The View's first live episode of the year was a robust tribute to its late creator, Barbara Walters, who died Dec. 30 at the age of 93.

Following a brief introduction and memories of Walters from current panelists Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, the ladies reunited with past cohosts to share memories of the iconic broadcast journalist who launched The View in 1997.

The first segment saw Behar invite Star Jones, Meredith Viera, and Debbie Matenopoulos — the ABC program's inaugural lineup — to reminisce about launching the program alongside Walters. Jones fondly recalled the legend as "the best gossiper" she'd ever met, while Matenopoulos, whom Walters hand-picked to join the cast when she was only 22, discussed the "mother-daughter" bond she shared with Walters.

"She was tough on me, but I appreciated it, because I learned everything from her. She single-handedly changed my life," Matenopoulos said, later recalling a full-circle moment where she interviewed Walters on The Insider. "[Afterward] she said to me, 'You know what, baby, I always knew I was right. I am so, so proud of you.' And, truly, all my life, all I wanted to do was make her proud."

Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images 'The View' paid tribute to Barbara Walters.

Lisa Ling, who joined the show in 1999, credited an afternoon lunch Walters with inspiring her to go to therapy and address deep-seated issues she hadn't confronted about her life until then.

"I became diligent about going every week. It wasn't because Barbara traumatized me, it was because she started asking me questions I didn't really know the answers to, and it really [impacted] me on a personal level," Ling said, noting that the exchange led to her "wailing" next to Walters in public at the now-closed Café des Artistes restaurant in New York City. Later, she added: "For her, I really do believe she thought of us as her kids, as her daughters. It was so important for her that we all do well and that we were all happy. She was so supportive."

Former View cohost Sherri Shepherd recalled defending Walters during an on-air interview with conservative pundit Ann Coulter.

"I didn't like the way she was talking to Barbara, like, you don't talk to Barbara like that, I will whoop your, you know... I'm not playing with you. I remember feeling so protective of this woman who was so protective all the time of me, who would ferociously defend me no matter what gaffes I made at the table," Shepherd said. Goldberg responded that Walters "demanded that we demand the best of us and respect from others. That's what she said: 'You don't let anybody talk down to you, ever.'"

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who appeared on the show between seasons 7 and 16, often disagreed with Walters' views when they debated current events, and reflected on that dynamic in the wake of her mentor's death.

"She was also my boss, and I was tasked with debating my boss five days a week for 10 years on opposite sides of issues, so imagine the complexity there," she said. "Not only am I walking into work, but I've got to tell my boss that she might be wrong about an issue every single day," she said. "I think the reason why Barbara and I not only had that special relationship 10 years at The View, but 10 years since, in such an enriched way, is because she put our relationship over the roles that we had."

The View ended the episode with a montage of Walters' most memorable moments from the show, including interviews with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and a clip from Walters' final episode on The View panel in 2014, which featured Oprah Winfrey bringing out 25 female journalists to bid Walters farewell.

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