Sherri Shepherd publicly apologized on air for saying in an interview with a Christian Women’s magazine that she hoped her boss, Barbara Walters, could “get saved” by a televangelist. She said in the same interview that she went through a very rough time when she was young and that she’d “had more abortions than I would like to count.” After the details of the interview were widely publicized, Shepherd clarified her remarks, saying that she was not glamorizing abortion and that she hoped to inspire women who also felt extreme guilt and shame over having an abortion. She also claimed that her quotes were taken out of context and that she was joking about wanting to have Walters saved.

Shepherd said she called Barbara Walters ahead of time to warn her that the quote was going to be published, and that Walters laughed and acted like it wasn’t a big deal. A show source tells the National Enquirer that Barbara is fed up with with Sherri and the idiotic things she says on air and that the “saved” comment was just Sherri’s latest gaffe to piss her off:

“Barbara has had it with her,” said the source. “Barbara was shocked that Sherri would say she needs to be ‘saved’. She’s dumbfounded by the stupid things that keep coming out of Sherri’s mouth…

Barbara has been saying that Sherri’s a “loose cannon,” added the source. “And after hearing what she said to a Christian magazine, word came back from Barbara that she wants to boot her off the show.

“Barbara thinks Sherri has become far worse of a problem than Star Jones and Rosie’s O’Donnel when they were on the show – and that’s saying a lot!”

While Barbara is ready to see Sherri move on from “The View,” insiders say it’s unlikely there will be a dramatic firing.

“Barbara may first give her a chance to shape up before shipping her out…

“And if Barbara does let Sherri go, expect a fun farewell with the whole gang saying only nice things about Sherri in public.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, August 11, 2008]

Everyone else on The View may be smarter than Sherri – and that’s not saying much considering that Sherri thinks Jesus came before the Romans – but Barbara Walters’ personality is shrewish and she sticks out on that panel. Barbara is constantly making the celebrity guests on the show uncomfortable with blunt questions. The View is a roundtable talkshow with an audience, it’s not a one on one interview like Walters is used to and she has to tone down the personal questions.

The show is so much more watchable when Whoopi is there running everything without Barbara. Yes Sherri says stupid things, but she’s earnest about it and she’s not really hurting anyone. Sherri’s dumb observations are a kind of comic relief and the other women make excuses for her and help her out. Barbara would do better to retire than to try and get rid of Sherri. Sherri isn’t the one who’s dragging the show down.

The cast of The View is shown at a panel discussion on 4/9/08. Credit: MLM/Fame Pictures