Overview
- Whoopi Goldberg told viewers in a video played on The View that she was stranded in Sicily after Mount Etna erupted and that local airports were closed, and she said she would return “as soon as I can.”
- The eruption over the July 4 holiday weekend produced ash and an eruptive cloud that local reporting says reached about 1.5 kilometers, triggering flight suspensions at Catania-Fontanarossa and cancellations or diversions to airports such as Palermo.
- Three regular co-hosts — Goldberg, Ana Navarro, and Sara Haines — were absent from the July 6 broadcast for separate travel- or weather-related reasons, with Navarro stuck in Miami and Haines handling storm damage at home.
- Comedian Michelle Buteau was called in at the last minute to join Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin on the panel after producers rearranged the lineup to keep the live show on air.
- Mount Etna is one of Europe’s most active volcanoes and its ash emissions can make airspace unsafe, so authorities issued aviation notices and gave tentative reopening times for airports while monitoring ash drift and ongoing activity.