Whoopi Goldberg has been steering the Hot Topics table on The View since 2007. So when the 70-year-old moderator suddenly wasn’t in her chair this week, fans immediately started asking questions: Where’s Whoopi?

Fortunately, viewers didn’t have to wait very long for answers.

On Monday, November 17, Joy Behar opened the show with the scoop. Goldberg wasn’t out sick or taking a beach day — she was busy filming a project overseas. “If you’re wondering why I’m here on a Monday, and Whoopi is not, it’s because she’s in Italy filming a soap opera,” Behar, 83, told the audience before rolling a behind-the-scenes video Goldberg sent from set.

In the clip, the Sister Act actress sat in a hair-and-makeup chair in Naples, surrounded by the crew working on her transformation. She shared that she’d already met the directors and was excited for what’s ahead, but she admitted the whole thing felt “very nerve-wracking.” Sunny Hostin then jumped in to explain exactly what was going on: Goldberg is playing an American translator who moves into an apartment complex on one of Italy’s most beloved soap operas. Hostin, 57, added that Italian fans are “thrilled” to see her join the show.

Before the episode aired, Goldberg had already dropped a small hint on Instagram. Posting a photo from a dressing room, she wrote, “If you notice I’m not on The View this week, it’s because I’m in Italy working.”

For anyone not plugged into the international soap scene, this move might sound like it came out of nowhere. But Goldberg actually revealed the news months ago. In June, she posted a video announcing that she’d been cast in Un Posto al Sole, a longtime hit on Italy’s Rai network set in Naples. She called the opportunity a “crazy idea,” but a wonderful one. “I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited,” she said. “No, my Italian is not perfect, but we’ve worked it out. Ciao — see you on TV.”

Producers have confirmed that her character will appear in 2026 across a special, multi-episode storyline. And while she’s keeping most of the details under wraps for now, she talked about the role during the November 13 episode of Behind the Table, saying she’d been “looking for things to do” and that soap operas have always been one of her great TV loves. “I don’t know how they work there,” she joked about Italian daytime drama. “It will all be new.”

Her quick trip also follows a major milestone: Goldberg celebrated her 70th birthday last week on the show. During the same birthday-week podcast chat, she reflected on what she wants next in life, even sharing her dream of becoming a U.S. ambassador someday. She told her co-workers she wished she could bring them along for this Italian journey, but she promised she’d be back at the table after a short break.