Lisa Ling's Beau Comes Out

It's no secret that The View's Lisa Ling is dating. She often makes her boyfriend the topic of conversation when the chatfest's dishy women discuss men and -- gasp! -- sex. But to keep from reducing Mr. Right into her version of Cody Gifford, Ling says, "I've been very careful not to even mention his name."

But now, we can tell you that for nine months the TV host has been dating 29-year-old actor Rick Yune (Snow Falling on Cedars). Tomorrow will be a monumental day for Ling, as she not only publicly utters his name for the first time, but appears with him as a couple on her show. Sure, he's technically taking a seat on the sofa to plug his new street-racer flick, The Fast and the Furious (opening Friday). But the real "Hot Topic" will undoubtedly be grilling Ling and Yune on the details of their hush-hush courtship.

Here's a preview: The two met last year at a panel lunch sponsored by People, where Yune thought Ling disliked him because he arrived late. Instead, she invited him to lunch again, and "then it was all over," he smiles. That's over in a good way. In fact, Yune doesn't even get nervous when Ling tells Viewers her dreams for the future -- including her fantasy wedding. "'There are times when my boys call me up and say 'She said this and this!'" he laughs. "But we're absolutely serious. At this point I'm known as 'Mr. Lisa Ling.'"

Barbara Walters