Joy Behar Says She Has No Plans to Leave The View as Show Celebrates Her 80th Birthday

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Joy Behar won't be retiring from The View anytime soon.

As she was approaching her 80th birthday, Behar exclusively told PEOPLE that she is still eager to keep her career going strong.

"I just signed a contract so I'll be here for a while," she said. "I have no plans to retire."

Behar spoke with admiration for the series as well — at least, in most cases. "It's really, you know, something that is an important show in many ways," she continued. "Sometimes I don't believe that, as I've been here since the beginning, but we're the most-watched show in daytime. Most-watched!"

She concluded, "I'm happy to be a part of it. So no, I'm not going anywhere. I'm having a good time."

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Lou Rocco/Getty Joy Behar

On Friday's episode of The View, Behar's 80th birthday was celebrated — even though she wasn't present to celebrate herself. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg kickstarted the tribute, saying: "We want to start by wishing Joy a very happy birthday."

"We will have plenty of celebrating when she gets back here next week," Goldberg, 66, said. "But you know we had to say it because you know she hates it when we do."

New co-host Ana Navarro chimed in to add: "So let's say it in two languages: feliz cumpleaños."

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Behar joined The View in 1997 as one of the show's original panelists. In 2013, however, Behar was fired from the series. She later returned in 2015.

Addressing her brief time away, Behar said she was actually "glad" her termination occurred. "I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don't even remember why," she said while in conversation with Time.

Behar also told PEOPLE she's still unsure what caused the show to remove her for two years. "We still don't know why they dumped me," she said. "They still don't know why I was sacked? That was very stupid of them. But they learned their lesson."

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The View airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).