Debbie Matenopoulos & Alyssa Farah Griffin On Being The Young Voice At 'The View'
The View: Behind the Table
The episode features a nostalgic conversation between Alyssa Farah Griffin and Debbie Matenopoulos regarding their early days co-hosting 'The View'. They reflect
Key takeaways
- Debbie Matenapoulos was only 21 or 22 years old when she began co-hosting 'The View'.
- Barbara Walters acted as a maternal figure for Debbie, even managing her curfew and clothing choices.
Main topics
- Early years of The View
- Barbara Walters' mentorship
Notable quotes
I was highly underdeveloped prefrontal cortex for the world to see.
Conclusion
The episode provides a blend of nostalgic television history and serio
Transcript preview
Speaker 1 (0:00) On October 19th, 2025, the Louvre became the backdrop of something straight out of a heist movie. In this series, I'll take you inside the events of that day, through the eyes of the people who lived them. Then, I'll join the international hunt for the Louvre jewels. Heist at the Louvre, a new series from ABC Audio. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favourite podcast app. or subscribe to 2020 True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free. All Speaker 2 (0:30) right, it is Wednesday. I think it's Wednesday. And I am here. It's another day, another OG. I'm here with the lovely, the talented Debbie Metanopoulos. The lovely, the talented, the slightly less... Overdressed. Oh! Alyssa Faragriffin. We have sweats and leather. Well, it's Speaker 4 (0:47) because leather and lace. Exactly. These are cute. I want these. Speaker 2 (0:51) Thank Speaker 4 (0:52) you, L Speaker 2 (0:52) 'Agence. I'll get your purse. Speaker 4 (0:53) I have another event to run off to. Of course. So Speaker 2 (0:56) I was Speaker 4 (0:56) like, you know what? She's in demand. I'm going to be dressed for success at this podcast. I have a baby to go home to. This is what I live in. Exactly. Exactly. Speaker 2 (1:17) Now, I heard something just happen before you walked in here. I don't know the details, but tell me what happened. Well, you Speaker 4 (1:22) know, the view really is a sisterhood. Yes. And you ladies are very close. And I now feel like I have either been hazed or... I can't wait. Or brought into the sisterhood of this cast. As I was changing, I've never felt... More close to Sarah Haynes as I do in my life right now. As I was changing in the bathroom, I forgot to lock the lock. So much to my surprise and Sarah's surprise, she walked in on me completely nude. And I was like this and I screamed. She screamed. Wow. Yay! And then when I came out, I said, well, why did you scream? Do I look that bad? I mean, I thought I looked Speaker 3 (2:09) okay for my age. So Speaker 4 (2:12) I said to her, Sarah, thank God it was you. Yes, 100%. At least I know you. At least it's a sister, you know, in television. And I thought, you know what? These things happen. I Speaker 3 (2:24) change a lot in the wardrobe in the same room as Sarah Haynes, but I asked to stop when I was super pregnant because I was like, I can't look, I can't be next to that when I'm this absolute Speaker 4 (2:34) whale of a human. What a feeling like that. But that's what happens when you're on these sets. You get used to being pretty much naked in front of people a lot. I enjoy this because I'm Speaker 2 (2:44) obviously a guy and I get extremely uncomfortable. People are like getting changed and working and I leave always. But Sarah in particular seems to enjoy the fact that I freak out at the idea of her being in any state of undress or anything else. So I'll be like, everybody decent. And then she doesn't answer. And I open the door and scream and close the door. And yeah. You've walked in on Speaker 3 (3:05) everyone but me and I'm planning to keep it that way. Joy like Speaker 2 (3:07) daily. But it's. She can care Speaker 4 (3:09) less. But luckily. Who cares? Who cares? Speaker 2 (3:12) So anyway. Oh my Speaker 4 (3:13) gosh. Amazing. Can you Speaker 2 (3:14) believe it's been 30 years? Speaker 4 (3:15) I cannot believe it has been 30 years. I've always wanted to do a show. Yes. Different generations, backgrounds, and views. Oh my God. A prosecuting attorney. Speaker 2 (3:23) Oh, you can do the whole thing. We're still doing it. How about that? So you're still the young one in spirit. I will always be. You're the Speaker 3 (3:29) young one now. Okay, but that's Speaker 1 (3:30) the Speaker 3 (3:30) funny thing. I'm the young one. I started in my early 30s. You Speaker 4 (3:33) were in your early 20s. Literally 21, 22 by the time the show went on the air. I'm going to tell you. I was saying to Joy, your prefrontal cortex isn't even developed until you're 25, which, by the way, is responsible for decision-making skills, for emotional regulation, for impulse control, of which I had none at that time. And I think to myself, I needed four more years for my brain to develop. And here I was on national television every day exposing my highly underdeveloped prefrontal cortex for the world to see. and waving it all around for Speaker 3 (4:09) iconic tv but i want to know like were you in those days like you're part of what's a huge show it's earl it's the early days but are you like going out to bars on weekend are you just living a normal like 20 something life i was trying to Speaker 4 (4:22) And because in my brain, I didn't understand how big this show was. I was wondering if you were able Speaker 2 (4:27) to register it at the time being a part of it. Speaker 4 (4:29) It didn't register. And I would be out in public and then I would get upset when people would look at me and whatever. And I'd be like, why are those people staring at me when we're eating? And I'd be so like very, very uncomfortable. I didn't like it. And it wasn't, I think, until. Speaker 4 (4:42) This really cemented how big the show got in New York. There was a massive billboard on the West Side Highway. Massive. It's that original one where I'm wearing the red shoes like Dorothy and they're all, and it's the young one, the attorney, the young one was above my head. And it was on the West Side Highway going in and out of the city. And every single person from that moment on would stop me. And it. It was jarring. I wasn't mentally prepared for that. And I don't think you're mentally prepared for anything that massive, even as a fully developed adult. It can be a lot. So to answer your question, no. I was still going out and I got in a lot of trouble for it. And page six would follow me around and the paparazzi. And I was like, why does anyone care what I'm doing? I couldn't figure out why they cared. Speaker 2 (5:25) This show, even before the internet, was clickbait. It was clickbait. And back Speaker 3 (5:30) then, tabloids did drive so much. I mean, that still exists, but it's different with social media and the world's just broader with reality TV. But I remember seeing you guys in the tabloids back in the day. Oh, yeah. Speaker 4 (5:40) It was huge. It was really big. I mean, thank gosh there wasn't any social media. I Speaker 3 (5:44) know. Speaker 4 (5:44) Was it Speaker 2 (5:45) fun? Oh, it was the most fun in the world. The Speaker 4 (5:47) show was the most fun in the world. Professionally on the show, it was super fun. Speaker 2 (5:52) But Speaker 4 (5:53) then personally, I would get attacked left, right, and center from the press. Oh, she's dumb. Oh, she's this. Oh, she's wild. Oh, she's this. I was hired. My job was to be the Gen X representative. And that's what I was doing. That's what Gen X was doing. I mean, remember, I was just a student at NYU, a journalism student. Speaker 1 (6:12) And Speaker 4 (6:12) I think Barbara saw me as, oh, this is maybe a girl who wants to follow in my footsteps. Speaker 3 (6:17) You know, Speaker 4 (6:18) I mean, Barbara loved Jackie. She and Jackie had a fairly... like complicated relationship as many mother daughters do have. And I think it complicated even more that her mother was so famous. And when this was arguably the most successful and most important female journalist of our time and history, maybe of all time, of all time. And therefore I think, you know, Jackie wanted nothing to do with it. I don't want to be a journalist. I don't want to do this. I don't want to do that. Barbara saw me and thought, Oh, this NYU kid who is in journalism school. And this is all she wants to do. Maybe here's my shot to maybe someone who wants, who looks up to her like this. And then you fall into that category of almost being like a mother-daughter relationship again. Speaker 3 (7:06) Where Speaker 4 (7:06) she would pick my outfits. She made me dye my hair a different color. She, oh yeah, picked my outfits. I'd have to wear a sweater set. You can ask Fran. She's still laughing. I would have to, they dyed my hair darker. I had a curfew. She would call me to make sure I