BARBARA WALTERS Talks about her memoir, "Audition"

Barbara Walters reflects on the deeply personal motivations behind her memoir, *Audition*, revealing how her private family life shaped her public persona. Central to her development was her relationship with her sister, Jackie, whose developmental disabilities instilled a complex mix of guilt, resentment, and profound empathy that later informed Walters' compassionate interviewing style. The discussion highlights the volatile nature of her upbringing in the show business world, where her father, nightclub owner Lew Walters, experienced extreme financial fluctuations. These "insane rollercoasters" of wealth and loss fueled a relentless professional drive and a permanent sense of financial insecurity. By detailing the struggles women faced in broadcasting and the sacrifices made during her rise to fame, the conversation presents Walters' career not just as a series of high-profile interviews with world leaders and celebrities, but as a "whole package" defined by early isolation and an enduring need for stability.