Barbara Walters has announced that her last scheduled television appearance before retiring from appearing on The View every day is May 16.
Walters will continued to contribute to ABC News on certain occasions and she will also continue to executive produce The View, which she created. On May 16, a two-hour special will air from 9-11pm highlighting her iconic career on television. Her last week on the program will also feature a celebration of her career.
Walters announced she would be retiring last year after joining ABC for the first time in 1976, making history as the first female anchor on an evening news program.
Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement, "In this business there are legends, there are icons, and then there is Barbara Walters. She's a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it's impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television.
She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It's hard to imagine television without her,” ABC News reports.
Walters started The View in 1997 and although the co-hosts have changed frequently over the years, currently it’s co-hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Sheperd, Jenny McCarthy and Walters.