Joy Behar tells The Quiz With Balls host Jay Pharoah to "shut up" during his interview

The Quiz With Balls host Jay Pharoah’s visit to The View didn’t exactly start the way most TV interviews do. Before the cameras rolled into the Q&A, the former Saturday Night Live actor was chatting with the panellists, complimenting their outfits, making jokes, and even pointing out the random table stash of mints and cough drops. But as he turned to welcome Joy Behar, she cut him off with a deadpan "shut up," eliciting raucous laughter from the crowd and other hosts. It was peak Joy timing: blunt, funny, and perfectly unexpected.

Pharoah was on the show to plug his new Fox game show, The Quiz With Balls, where teams answer trivia questions for a shot at $100,000. Get one wrong, though, and a giant yellow ball sends you splashing into the pool. Hosting the chaos takes fast thinking and sharper humor, two things Pharoah mastered back in his SNL days with his dead-on celebrity impressions. The View is no stranger to memorable moments, but this opening exchange definitely earned a spot on the highlight reel.

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What happened during The Quiz With Balls's Jay Pharoah’s interview?

The Quiz With Balls's Pharoah's interview began unusually as he took time to acknowledge each View host personally. Rather than sitting down for immediate questioning, he offered compliments about their appearance and even noticed small details like the table refreshments.

His methodical approach to greeting everyone individually created an extended pre-interview period. He reached Behar with:

"What's up Joy, how you doing?"

She delivered her memorable response:

"Well, I'm waiting for you to shut up so I can ask you a question," Behar retorted sharply.

The moment got big laughs from the crowd and the panel, but Jay Pharoah didn’t miss a beat. He just grinned, took a sip of water, and cracked back with:

“I’ll keep my compliments to myself.”

That only set up more comedy when Joy Behar reminded him he hadn’t said anything about her black jacket, which had shiny ring-shaped cutouts all over it. She joked they looked like bullet holes, and Pharoah fired off another one-liner:

“50 Cent had that on his first tour.”

The quick exchange showed exactly why he’s so good at what he does: snappy comebacks, sharp pop culture nods, and perfect timing. Once the laughter died down, the interview rolled on, with the hosts giving Pharoah his flowers for his comedy chops. They especially highlighted his impression game, which made him such a standout during his Saturday Night Live years.

For a guy now hosting a wild game show called The Quiz With Balls, handling a few Behar zingers was just another day at work. The initial tension transformed into genuine appreciation for his entertainment skills. The hosts acknowledged his transition from sketch comedy to game show hosting, recognizing the different skill sets required for each role.

Pharoah's ability to recover from Behar's interruption demonstrated the professionalism that makes him effective in live television environments like on The Quiz With Balls.

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The View’s style explored

This exchange exemplified The View's reputation for unscripted moments and direct communication. Behar's willingness to interrupt a guest reflects the show's informal atmosphere, turning authentic reactions into memorable television.

The incident showcased both hosts' personalities: The Quiz With Balls's Pharoah's gregarious nature and The View's Behar's no nonsense approach. Their dynamic created entertainment value while still allowing the interview to accomplish its promotional goals.

Such spontaneous moments often become the most talked-about aspects of talk show appearances, potentially generating more attention for Pharoah's new show than a standard interview might have achieved.

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You can watch The Quiz With Balls on Fox.