Whoopi Goldberg is using "a walker" because she's suffering with sciatica

At the start of the show, she said: "Yes, it's me, I'm back.

"I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg."

The 'Sister Act' actress jokingly compared the condition to a "bad boyfriend who came back to mess with me".

She added: "So there I was, trying to move my leg — impossible to do. It was really horrible, but I'm glad to be here."

Whoopi noted she needs a walker to move around, and described the device as her "new best friend".

She said: "I have a walker, which kind of freaks me out. I didn't know that I needed it."

When her co-host Joy Behar - who has also experience sciatica in the past - told Whoopi she looked well-rested, she joked it was because she's been "laying in a hospital room".

She laughed: "Well, what can you do? I've turned into this little old Black lady. It's really strange."

In February 2019, Whoopi also took a break from 'The View' for health reasons as she was suffering from pneumonia and sepsis.

And two months later, she revealed she had almost died while in hospital.

She said: "The doctor told me, 'Listen, you're not going anywhere tomorrow and you're not going anywhere next week because you are really sick. You were this close to dying.'

"I was like, 'Really?' I never thought of pneumonia as something that serious. In my mind I wasn't that sick.

"I hope that this is a cautionary tale for people. You have to take the time to take care of yourself."