Why Suzanne Somers Turned Down Joining The Original Cast Of The View

It's no secret that late actor, entrepreneur, and author Suzanne Somers was blessed with the gift of gab! During her lengthy and illustrious career, Somers wrote 17 books — 14 of which became New York Times Best Sellers — and even debuted not one. but two talk shows: "The Suzanne Somers Show" in 1994 and "The Suzanne Show" in 2012. "The Suzanne Show is 'me,' unplugged," she declared about the 2012 venture (via Palm Springs Life). "My interests and my passions and honest talk, from new ways to achieve optimal health, to my friends, great foods, and important questions that others aren't asking. I'm mixing glamour and innovative science in a way that America's never seen before."

But, as it turns out, Somers also had an opportunity to be one of the original co-hosts on Barbara Walters' famous brainchild "The View" — and she turned it down! So, why would Somers opt to rebuff such an opportunity? She certainly had her reasons. 

The story goes that when assembling the first batch of "The View" co-hosts, ABC and the late Barbara Walters tapped none other than Suzanne Somers. Somers, however, wasn't interested in the gig. But why exactly? "First of all, I have to live in New York. I don't really wanna live in New York. I like the weather down here, and I like the vibe down here," she divulged during an episode of "Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef" podcast. 

As you may recall, by that point, Somers had firmly put down roots in sunny and warm Palm Springs, California, on a palatial estate on 65 acres of land. Somers and her husband, Alan Hamel, plunked down $420,000 for the sprawling property in 1977. "Once you've tasted a cauliflower just picked from the garden and brought to the table, it's hard to ever have it any other way," she once gushed to People. Still, the weather and fresh produce were not the only things keeping Somers from joining "The View." 

Suzanne Somers also explained on the "Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef" podcast that she wasn't keen on duking it out with "The View" co-hosts to get a word in. "I don't do well vying for time. And there, you gotta interrupt and butt in and butt out. It's just not my personality," she explained.

Over the years, "The View" has become known for being somewhat of a breeding ground for infighting and public workplace feuds. (Think: Rosie O'Donnell vs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Star Jones vs. Barbara Walters, and Meghan McCain vs. Joy Behar.) In fact, years after McCain's untimely exit from the show, she declared in her column for the Daily Mail that there was "nothing on God's green earth that could convince me to ever walk on to that set again." She added, "The only way to survive on that show is to be vanilla pudding." If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that Suzanne Somers was NOT vanilla pudding!