Jenny McCarthy made her hosting debut on "The View" yesterday, and she was joined by her boyfriend Donnie Wahlberg. 

Kicking off the daytime talk show's 17th season, the 40-year-old actress, mother and former Playboy Playmate admitted that Wahlberg's surprise guest appearance was just what she needed during her first day. McCarthy joined "The View" in July after Elisabeth Hasselbeck announced she was leaving the show, as well as Joy Behar.

"When I got to see him today, I felt like I could sit back and relax," she told ABC News.

Wahlberg, the 44-year-old "Blue Bloods" actor  and member of veteran boy band New Kids on the Block, sat down with McCarthy yesterday after a video was played showing her and co-host Sherri Shepherd frolicking in New York City.

Shepherd sported an "I [Heart] Donnie" shirt, while McCarthy said her 11-year-old son Evan approved of her new man, whom she says her son has only met once.

"They caught frogs together," McCarthy said, when discussing Wahlberg and her son's relationship. "Evan was like, 'See you later mom. We're gonna catch frogs,' and that was that."

McCarthy as a co-host has been met with some controversy due to her views on autism. Her son was diagnosed with autism as a toddler, but according to McCarthy he was cured after she changed his diet. McCarthy, who is the president of autism awareness group Generation Rescue, has also hinted at how she supports the belief of vaccines possibly causing autism in children.

The topic wasn't discussed in her "View" debut, as it was mostly focused on McCarthy and Wahlberg's relationship and how it began.

"Jenny slipped her phone number to me after her show," Wahlberg announced to the roundtable, which also included Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg. According to Wahlberg, the two have been a couple since Jul. 4.

Walters, who has been in the business for around 40 years, recently announced she'll be retiring from TV journalism (including her "View" host position) in 2014.