@joyvbehar's seat at the table is fiercely earned and unmoved. After 25 years on The View, Behar knows the strong reaction she provokes in people—and she’s fine with it. With humble beginnings in stand-up comedy in the 80s, one thing Behar was sure of was that she wanted an audience. She didn't begin as a particularly polarizing or political figure. At the heart of her entertainment, she was a comedian. "Because she's funny, she's more threatening," says Susie Essman, who came up on the New York City comedy circuit with Behar. She's a force to be reckoned with that riles both her attackers and loyal allies. But Behar claims her comments are never designed to provoke. “I just say what I say, and then they're upset with me," Behar says. Despite the controversy, Behar has remained in the spotlight for 25 years. Alongside her dually inspired coworkers who have had to sit out of hosting The View, Bahar has remained untouched and immune to immediate punishment. "The View needs her more than she needs to do it because she's such an established brand," says Ramin Setoodeh, co-editor in chief of Variety and author of a book about the show. Behar remains an undeniable pillar of daytime television. Taking nothing personally, she confidently says what her audience is too afraid to speak. Read more at the link in our bio. Photograph by Peter Fisher (@pet__fish) for TIME