TV's Barbara Walters hopes to return to work in 3 weeks Barbara Walters appears backstage at the 39th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, California on June 23, 2012. NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Ailing broadcast journalist Barbara Walters called in to "The View" Wednesday to say she hopes to be back as co-host of the New York chat show in three weeks. Walters, 83, was hospitalized last month after she fell and cut her head. She was later diagnosed with the chicken pox. She has been recovering at home for more than a week. I have been a little weak. I am not in any pain. And I'm not scratching too much. I'm not itching away," Walters said. I just feel sort of weak and tired, and I probably won't be back on the program for about three weeks.