Whoopi Goldberg returns to 'The View' after back injury

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Whoopi Goldberg has returned to The View after a nearly two-week absence during which she nursed an injured back.

The beloved, 59-year-old comedienne -- who was clad in green hospital scrubs -- walked out onstage to her favorite music group Vintage Trouble singing: "We got Whoopi back! Whoopi's back in the house. ... Welcome back to The View. We love you!" as the audience chanted: "Whoopi! Whoopi!"

"Hey, y'all!" Goldberg said. "You already know I've already been out. I've been sick because my whole thing went out. Baby, you hit past 50... you are slipping on your behind, you are letting gas go and your back is doing stuff you don't want it to do."

She then noted she and her fellow co-hosts Rosie O'Donnell and Nicolle Wallace had been given new leather, ergonomic captain's chairs to protect their backs during show tapings.

"There are more people in this audience that have suffered from what I have, than there are not," Goldberg said.

"Really? What's the name of it exactly?" O'Donnell wanted to know.

"Crap!" Goldberg replied. She later elaborated: "It's a herniated, bulging, pissy disc that was annoyed, apparently, because it didn't watch the movie it wanted to watch and decided that I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing. Now, maybe it's the steroids talking. You'll never know!"

She went on to acknowledge her back had been hurting since September, but it recently flared up for an unknown reason. She said she had been exercising and going through physical therapy to avoid surgery.

"The bottom line is, I'm back!" Goldberg said.