Rosie O’Donnell recently claimed she would return to The View for its 30th season. This claim came from a recent interview with the Tangle podcast. Despite her comments, Entertainment Weekly has learned there are currently no official plans in place for her to take part in the upcoming season. O’Donnell said during the interview, published over the weekend, that she is willing to return “in whatever way they want.” She added that for now, it would only be in a guest capacity. She also hinted that the show is making preparations to bring back all the past hosts. She said this for the 30-year milestone.
The View launched in 1997 as a groundbreaking daytime talk show. It was the brainchild of late journalist Barbara Walters. O’Donnell was one of the original cohosts. She remained a fixture until her first departure in 2007. She has a long and complicated history with the program. A spokesperson for O’Donnell confirmed to EW via email that the comedian mentioned the show might want to bring some former cohosts back as guests for season 30. The rep added, “There has not been a formal ask from the show at this time.” The spokesperson also noted that current cohost Ana Navarro had suggested the possibility of O’Donnell appearing as a guest at some point during the season. No details have yet been solidified, and Navarro’s representatives have not responded to further questions.
A complicated history with The View
O’Donnell first joined The View in its inaugural season in 1997. For the next decade, she became one of its most recognizable and controversial figures. Her first exit in 2007 followed a highly publicized on-air clash with cohost Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Since then, O’Donnell has not ruled out the possibility of a return. She has often spoken critically of the show’s direction and internal dynamics during her time there.
In a 2023 appearance on the Now What? With Brooke Shields podcast, O’Donnell reflected on her tenure at The View. She criticized the late producer Bill Geddie for managing what she described as “a factory where people were being churned in and out.” O’Donnell also pointed out what she saw as a major contradiction in the show’s leadership. She called it “a show created by a woman, for women, about women” that ended up being directed by a man. He had the final say on what topics were discussed. She added that this approach “didn’t sit right with me.” It contributed to her frustrations during her time on the show.
O’Donnell also revisited her infamous 2007 departure, when tensions with Hasselbeck reached a boiling point. “She kind of threw me under the bus,” O’Donnell said. “I was like, ‘Are you f---ing kidding me?’” She described how she left the show mid-air and did not return until years later, when Whoopi Goldberg was part of the lineup. Even then, she admitted, “we clashed in ways that I was shocked by.” When asked if she regretted her time on the show, she said, “I know this, it’s not the best use of my talent to get in a show where I have to argue and defend basic principles of humanity and kindness. It was not something I’d ever do again.”
Potential new show ambitions
Despite her mixed feelings about The View, O’Donnell has not ruled out returning to the daytime talk format in general. “It would look a lot like my old show, to tell you the truth,” she said during the Tangle interview. She also commented on the current cultural landscape, claiming that “America wants nostalgia” and that “celebrity culture is dead in America.” Her remarks suggest a desire to return to a more substance-driven, less celebrity-focused format.
In the meantime, O’Donnell is staying active in the world of late-night television. This month, she will temporarily fill in as a guest host for Jimmy Kimmel Live, continuing her long-standing career in live television. The View, which typically resumes production at the start of September, is preparing for its 30th season without a confirmed return from O’Donnell. ABC has yet to announce an official premiere date for the season, which will be the first in the show’s history to reach its three-decade milestone. For now, the door remains open, but whether or not it will swing wide again for Rosie O’Donnell remains to be seen.