Whoopi Goldberg missed “The View” on Monday after a volcanic eruption left her stranded in Sicily and scrambling to get back to the United States.
The longtime ABC co-host was stuck in Italy after Mount Etna erupted, disrupting flights and closing nearby airports as volcanic ash made air travel unsafe.
Joy Behar, who was filling in Monday, wasted no time poking fun at the suddenly depleted panel.
Behar joked that her co-hosts were “dropping like flies” before explaining that Ana Navarro was stuck in Miami because of weather, Sara Haines was dealing with storm damage and Goldberg had pulled “the old volcano excuse.”
Goldberg sent in a video dispatch from Sicily, where she explained that Mount Etna had thrown a massive wrench into her travel plans.
Whoopi Goldberg made an explosive announcement during the July 6 episode of ‘The View’ while trapped in Sicily due to ongoing eruptions from Italy’s active Mount Etna volcano. https://t.co/vWcTBFFmW0 pic.twitter.com/TZrup57A9L
— E! News (@enews) July 6, 2026
The volcano’s eruption left her unable to fly home in time for the show’s first new episode after the July Fourth break.
Goldberg still managed to make light of the situation, saying her travel nightmare beat everyone else’s excuse.
She summed it up with one line: “A volcano ate my homework.”
Mount Etna, located on Sicily’s eastern coast, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and has a long history of disrupting air travel around Catania when ash clouds make flying dangerous.
The latest eruption led to cancellations and delays for travelers trying to move in and out of the region.
Goldberg’s absence came as “The View” was already short-staffed, with multiple co-hosts sidelined by weather and travel problems.
Behar held down the desk alongside the remaining panelists while Goldberg waited for the volcano drama to clear.
For now, Goldberg’s return depends less on ABC and more on Mount Etna cooling off.
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