Christian Actress Candace Cameron Bure to Join 'The View,' Producers Hope She Will be Token 'Controversial Conservative'

Aug 26, 2015 01:56 PM EDT

Christian actress Candace Cameron Bure will join "The View" as a co-host, joining a panel featuring Joy Behar, Paula Faris, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Collins, and Raven Symoné, ABC has officially announced.  

Following the announcement, the Former "Full House" star released a statement expressing her excitement: "I am thrilled to be joining 'The View' as a regular co-host this fall," she said. "I am honored to be a new addition to such a strong group of bright and opinionated women, and I look forward to sharing this exciting journey with viewers new and old."

The mother-of-three also took to Twitter to share her enthusiasm, writing, "Thank you everyone 4 your support, encouragement, prayers and enthusiasm for my time as new co-host on The [View]."

Earlier in August, a source told  Page Six that Cameron-Bure, who is also a "Dancing With the Stars" alum, was hired in an attempt to feature a "controversial conservative" personality, similar to that former co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who left "The View" in 2013 for a position at Fox News.

Recently, Cameron-Bure made headlines after she defended the owners of a bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple during a heated discussion with former Disney Channel star Raven Symoné, who is a lesbian.

"[The bakery] didn't refuse to bake the cake because of [the couple's] sexual orientation," Cameron-Bure argued at the time. "In fact, they baked cakes for them previously. They had a problem with the actual ceremony because that - the ceremony - is what conflicted with their religious beliefs. They are saying that they stand for marriage between a man and a woman."

The source told Page Six: "That's the kind of stuff they love. The producers want her opposing Raven, because it's great for ratings and keeps them in the news."

In addition to voicing her conservative political views, Cameron-Bure, who is currently filming the Netflix spin-off series "Fuller House," often publicly discusses her Christian faith. 

On "Dancing with the Stars" in 2014, Cameron-Bure told the show's viewers, "I'm a Christian. My life revolves around my relationship with Jesus Christ."

She also explained that while it may be unpopular, she will continue to use her platform to share her Christian faith: "So with the overall tone of the dance or the costumes, I'm not going to take a backseat. My voice will definitely be heard," she said at the time.

The 39-year-old actress also credits her family with holding her accountable in faith, according to Fox411.

"Because how close my family is to me, and the big influence that my mom and dad had on me as a child and then into adulthood, I just never desired to be seen differently," she said. "Even if that was at the risk of my career."