TMZ is reporting Barbara Walters just finished interviewing President Obama at the White House, and that during a break, she revealed to him how she plans to retire next year. A witness to the conversation claims “Barbara leaned over to Obama and said ‘I need one more interview with you because I’m retiring next year,'” and everyone heard it because her mic was on.
Walters has never been afraid of talking about when she’ll officially retire, and seems to be doing so gradually. In 2004 she ended her career as a broadcast journalist, but remained on the panel of ABC’s The View, and has continued to host various specials (like last night’s The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2011). Recently, she’s been particularly vocal about the subject, and the 81-year-old media queen even told Mario Lopez in February at the 8th Annual Red Dress Awards, “I won’t be retiring to do something else because I love what I’m doing now. When I retire, I am leaving.” More recently, she broached the subject with Dr. Gail Saltz and said, “I’ve had such a long career … I couldn’t be more gratified by the kinds of things I do on The View. I am going to leave television and I will be fine with it.” Walters continued with, “I’ve had a wonderful life. There is nothing that a women journalist can’t do now.” And you can bet that in her last few days on the air, everyone’s going to come out prove she’s the one who made it that way.
Sources: TMZ, Extra, Huffington Post
