WASHINGTON: Pioneering US television journalist Barbara Walters signed off for the last time Friday, bidding fans a fond farewell but leaving the door just slightly open for a possible comeback.

The ABC day-time talk show “The View” that she has co-hosted since its launch in 1997 dedicated its entire hour to Walters, with surprise guests including Hillary Clinton, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey.

“Having had this amazing career, how can I just walk away and say goodbye?” said Walters, 84, who will remain a co-producer of the chatty upbeat program.

“This way: from the bottom of my heart, to all of you... thank you. But then, who knows what the future brings? Maybe instead of goodbye, I should say, ‘a bientot,’ which in French means, ‘See you later.’“ In a career that spanned six decades, Walters created a much-copied template for high-profile political and celebrity interviews — and blazed a trail for women in an industry dominated by white middle-aged males.

“How proud I am today when I see all the young women who are making and reporting the news,” she said. “If I did anything to help that happen, that’s my legacy.”

Her departure was to be followed later Friday by a two-hour prime-time special charting her career, which began in 1961 when she joined NBC’s breakfast news and entertainment show “Today.”