diff --git a/spyder/plugins/help/plugin.py b/spyder/plugins/help/plugin.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/spyder/plugins/help/plugin.py
+++ b/spyder/plugins/help/plugin.py
@@ -294,9 +294,9 @@ class Help(SpyderPluginWidget):
             cb = self._last_editor_cb

         if cb is None:

             if self.is_plain_text_mode():

-                self.plain_text.clear()

+                self.switch_to_plain_text()

             else:

-                self.rich_text.clear()

+                self.switch_to_rich_text()

         else:

             func = cb[0]

             args = cb[1:]
Fix switch to editor in combo at the start