Watch Abby Huntsman Announce On 'The View' That's She's Leaving The Show

Abby Huntsman announced on Monday morning that she is leaving "The View," but it wasn't until the newest episode aired that she got the chance to address the audience on camera.

The 33-year-old said that she made the decision to leave the show so she can join her father to work on his campaign for governor of Utah.

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"This is always such a hard thing to do… but today I’m saying goodbye," Huntsman said. "My number one priority has always been my family."

The show's producers sent around an internal memo about the news earlier in the day.

"From the moment Abby joined us a year and a half ago, we knew how important her big family is to her," the memo reads. "When your father asks you to help run your campaign, it's a hard one to say no to. We thank Abby for her unique, intelligent, insightful and relatable voice that she brought to the show both in front of and behind the camera. We will truly miss her and her great spirit professionally and personally."

Hunstman added her own note to the memo, writing, "After much deliberation over the holidays, I have decided to leave the show to dedicate myself full-time in support of my dad and his campaign for Governor of Utah. You know I think the world of all of you... ABC will always hold a special place in my heart, and so will all of you."

She further explained her decision to leave the show after just over a year of being on it in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Family has always been my number one priority, and is where I need to be focused at this time,” Huntsman said. “We are incredibly close and are there to support and help each other when it matters. It’s not often there is a political campaign that involves someone you love and believe in, but this is one of them.”

“I’m so thankful for this opportunity and for ABC believing in me,” she continued. “It was always a dream to sit at The View table. I have the deepest gratitude for all of my co-hosts and the team at The View who don’t get enough credit for what they do every day — I’ve learned so much from each of them and this will always be a special place to me.”