After nearly 60 years in television, veteran journalist and morning talk show co-host Barbara Walters, 83, is set to announce that she will retire in May 2014.
The decision comes on the heels of similar news by her colleague Joy Behar, who will exit ‘The View’ later this year.
It has been a rough 2013 for Walters, who fell during a pre-inaugural party in Washington D.C. in January. She suffered a concussion and ended up with a case of chicken pox that kept her away from the show for six weeks. In 2010 she underwent open heart surgery to replace a faulty aortic valve.
Barbara is expected to make an official announcement on Monday’s show. Her departure will be commemorated by a series of specials celebrating her nearly six decades spent on ‘ABC News,’ ‘Today Show,’ ’20/20′ and ‘The View.’
The newswoman became the first female co-anchor when she was teamed with Harry Reasoner on the ‘ABC Evening News’ from 1976-78, earning the enormous sum of $1 million a year.
She gained a reputation for reducing celebrities to tears during one-on-one interviews for 20/20 and in recent years hosted the popular ‘Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People’ special.
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