Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving ‘The View’

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is leaving the desk at The View for the couch on Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends.

The news network said that Hasselbeck will join co-anchors Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade on the three-hour morning show Fox & Friends in September. Wednesday will be her last day after a decade on The View.

Hasselbeck parlayed her popularity as a contestant on Survivor into a job on Barbara Walters’ ABC daytime show in 2003. During her decade on the show, she authored two cookbooks. She’s politically more conservative than her co-hosts on The View, which often led to some contentious moments.

Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes said that Hasselbeck’s “warm and engaging personality made her a star” and an “excellent conversationalist.” She replaces Gretchen Carlson, who will be given her own daytime show on Fox, Ailes said.

“When Elisabeth survived Survivor, we wanted to make sure she would stay afloat,” Walters said. “We have had 10 wonderful years with her and she will now be swimming in new waters. We will miss her and wish her everything good.”

Rumours that Hasselbeck was leaving first surfaced in March, drawing a heated denial from Walters at the time. She also said it was not true that Hasselbeck’s political views made her unpopular in the executive suites at The View.

Her views won’t be a problem on Fox & Friends, which is popular with a conservative audience. The talk show is the most popular cable news programme in the morning.