Barbara Walters to Return to ABC's THE VIEW, 3/4

The View co-host Barbara Walters, who has been absent from the show due to a fall followed by a bout of chickenpox, called in to this morning's broadcast to announce that she will be returning on March 4.

"I really miss you," Walters lamented with the ladies. "But the chair is starting to fit my butt, Barbara," joked interim host Brooke Shields. "I'm warming it up for you."

Replied Walters, "Nice to know. I wish I had your butt."

The long-time journalist talked about her prolonged absense from the show and explained, "They wanted me to have rest and I've had enough rest," but went on to assure the crew she was no longer contagious!

"The View," recipient of the 2003 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show, is ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, featuring a team of dynamic women of different ages, experiences and backgrounds discussing the most exciting events of the day. The program has received critical acclaim since premiering August 11, 1997. It's broadcast live weekdays from NYC (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET)

Walters' ground-breaking exclusive interviews with world figures and her enterprising reporting have made her one of the most highly acclaimed journalists on television. She has received worldwide recognition for her work and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. Her interviews and reports appear regularly on the ABC weekly newsmagazine "20/20" and in "The Barbara Walters Specials." Ms. Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first woman to co-host the network news. Ms. Walters is also a New York Times best selling author for her memoir "Audition," released in 2008.

Photo courtesy of ABC