Joy Behar exiting 'The View' after 16 years

Joy Behar

Credit: AP Photo/ABC, Donna Svennevik

Joy Behar is departing ABC's "The View" after 16 and a half years on the job.

The longtime co-host has decided not to renew her current contract with the daytime talker in order to pursue other opportunities, including a possible solo talk show on CNN.

“It seemed like the right time,” Behar, whose contract is up in August, told Deadline of her decision. “You reach a point when you say to yourself, ‘Do I want to keep doing this?’ There are other things on my plate I want to do — I’ve been writing a play, I’ve been neglecting my standup.”

Behar previously hosted a primetime talk show on the CNN-affiliated HLN network, and currently has "Joy Behar: Say Anything!" running on Current TV, though that series will end once the network's controversial Al Jazeera takeover goes into effect.

“I do like talk shows, I’m interested in talking to people,” she said in reference to her future plans. “I want to do an intelligent talk show where you have room to breath.”

So will she land at CNN, where she recently met with network head Jeff Zucker? Behar won't say for sure, though she claims to have had a "positive meeting" with Zucker and states that the struggling cable-news outlet "would be a great place” for her next series.

Outside of co-creator/executive-producer Barbara Walters, Behar is the only remaining member of the original "View" ensemble; she currently shares the panel with moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd.

“I have a lot of friends there, and I will miss everyone I’ve worked with because we have a family there,” said Behar. “It is a smart talk show because somebody of [Barbara Walters'] stature is leading the conversation; Barbara was one of the main reasons I took that job."

Will you be sad to see Behar go? Sound off in the comments.