'The View' co-host Sara Haines praises Iowa during season premiere, calling it 'the simple life'

Co-host of "The View" and Newton native Sara Haines, who recently visited Iowa, praised her home state during the Season 26 premiere of the daytime talk show on Tuesday.

The show returned Tuesday, following a second consecutive year ranked as the country's No.1 daytime show, after a monthlong break.

Haines mentioned Iowa during a lively discussion about the panel's time off.

"I also went back to Iowa to see some of my oldest friends. None of my family lives in my hometown of Newton," Haines added.

The show's Season 26 premiere includes an updated panel alongside Haines: moderator Whoopi Goldberg, comedian Joy Behar, former CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, and new co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin.

More: The View's Sara Haines talks coming home to Iowa, Taco John's, and hosting daytime's biggest show

Haines visited her hometown of Newton during the week of Aug. 15 and documented the trip on Instagram with visits to the city's Taco Johns and photos from the Des Moines International Airport.

"I got to go back, eat corn, the simple life," Haines said. "It's just so pure there so it filled my heart."

"The View" airs weekday mornings on ABC. The show's premiere week includes interviews with Florida gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and "Gutsy" documentary subjects Hillary and Chelsea Clinton.

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Sara Haines praises Iowa during the Season 26 premiere of 'The View'