BARBARA WALTERS NAMES JENNY McCARTHY CO-HOST OF "THE VIEW"

Barbara Walters ended months of rumors and speculation this morning with her announcement that, after 17 appearances on ABC's "The View," eight as a guest co-host, Jenny McCarthy will join the popular talk show as a co-host this fall. The comedian/actress/host and best-selling author officially starts on Monday, September 9 (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), the kick-off to Season 17.

"We are delighted that Jenny will be joining us as a permanent co-host on 'The View' starting in September. Jenny brings us intelligence as well as warmth and humor. She can be serious and outrageous. She has connected with our audience and offers a fresh point of view. Jenny will be a great addition to the show as we usher in an exciting new chapter for 'The View,'" said Ms. Walters.

"I'm beyond thrilled to be joining Barbara and the other amazing women at the table. I'd like to thank ABC for this great opportunity. I'd also like to give a big thank you to VH1 for their support and for allowing me to fulfill this lifelong dream. I look forward to helping make hot topics a little bit hotter, and showing my mom that my interrupting skills have finally paid off," said Ms. McCarthy.

This year, Ms. McCarthy brought her over-the-top comedic sensibilities to VH1 with her late-night talk show, "The Jenny McCarthy Show." She writes a blog and advice column, "Ask Jenny," for her hometown paper, the Chicago Sun-Times, answering reader questions about love, sex, single parenting and fitness. Playing recurring guest roles on such major network television shows as "Two and a Half Men," "Just Shoot Me," and "The Drew Carey Show," she continues to be a sought-after comedic actress. In December 2009, she reprised her starring role in "Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe," a sequel to ABC Family's wildly successful holiday movie. The former "Singled Out" host appeared on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," reporting live from Times Square in 2011 and 2012.

"The View," a live, one-hour daily talk show from ABC (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), features Daytime Emmy Award-winning hosts Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd. It's the original forum in which real women discuss everyday issues, share their opinions and engage in colorful conversations. "The View," broadcast in HDTV and produced in 2-channel stereo sound, is now available to watch online daily at 4:00 p.m., ET/1:00 p.m., PT on ABC.com. "The View" is produced by ABC and Ms. Walters' Barwall Productions, with Ms. Walters serving as executive producer along with Bill Geddie, who also serves as executive producer for "The Barbara Walters Specials." "The View" is directed by Mark Gentile. For breaking news and updated videos follow "The View" (@theviewtv) and hosts Barbara Walters (@BarbaraJWalters), Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg), Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) and Sherri Shepherd (@SherriEShepherd) on Twitter.(TM)