Rosie O'Donnell has expressed her willingness to return to "The View" for its upcoming 30th anniversary season, despite her historically turbulent relationship with the daytime talk show and its moderator, Whoopi Goldberg. Speaking on the Monday, Aug. 3 episode of the "Tangle With Kyle Ridley" podcast, the 64-year-old comedian and actress revealed she would be open to appearing on the program next year to mark the milestone.
O'Donnell explained her perspective on the potential reunion, stating she would gladly join the show in any capacity they desire. "I will go on the 30th anniversary next year and be on in whatever way they want me, just as a guest," she remarked on the podcast, noting her belief that producers are planning to bring back former hosts for the 30th season. She expressed admiration for the current state of the show, adding, "I'm proud of that show and what it's become and how it really speaks to people and politics. And that's not the case when I first joined."
However, a representative for O'Donnell clarified that no official plans have been finalized yet. In a statement, the representative noted that while there was brief mention of inviting former hosts back as guests for Season 30, "there has not been a formal ask from the show at this time." The current co-hosting panel for the ABC talk show consists of Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.
O'Donnell’s history with "The View" is marked by dramatic exits. She initially joined the panel in 2006, replacing Meredith Vieira as moderator. Her first stint lasted only a year, ending in 2007 following an intense, highly publicized on-air argument with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, alongside a failure to secure a contract renewal with the network. Goldberg was subsequently hired to replace O'Donnell as moderator. Years later, in 2014, O'Donnell returned to the show to share the screen with Goldberg, but her second tenure lasted only five months before she departed once more, citing health issues related to her heart.
The relationship between O'Donnell and Goldberg has been notoriously rocky. In Ramin Setoodeh’s 2019 book "Ladies Who Punch," an exposé on the daytime talk show, the Emmy-winning host of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" described working with Goldberg as the "worst experience" she ever had on live television. O'Donnell later expressed deep remorse over those comments, criticizing the Variety editor-in-chief's portrayal of the show and calling her 20-minute interview with Setoodeh her "biggest regret."
More recently, O'Donnell indicated that she and Goldberg have mended fences. During an appearance on "Andy Cohen Live," she discussed being on friendly terms with Goldberg, describing her as "very kind" since what she termed their "disastrous tag-team hellacious 'View' extravaganza." Elaborating on the podcast with Ridley, O'Donnell reflected on why their dynamic originally soured. "I admire [Whoopi], wanted to be on her team. I admire her EGOT status. I have respect for her," she said, comparing her hopes for their partnership to Chicago Bulls legends. "And I expected we would be like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan passing the ball back and forth and then shooting and leading the team to victory. But that's not exactly what happened." She suggested Goldberg may have felt "encroached upon" in some way, though she emphasized she was only doing the job the way she knew how. "We've gotten past it," O'Donnell concluded.
Currently, O'Donnell is living in Ireland, having relocated during Donald Trump's second presidential term due to what she described as an "overwhelmingly depressing, unconstitutional, illegal [and] criminal" political environment in the United States. Despite her move, she has recently hinted at a potential return to daytime television. On July 27, she posted on Instagram to shut down rumors that she was seeking a late-night television hosting slot after a guest-hosting gig on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." In that post, she confirmed she intends to remain in Ireland as her child enters the eighth grade, but added a teasing note: "I’m not interested in doing late night – daytime however would be interesting."
"I will go on the 30th anniversary next year and be on in whatever way they want me, just as a guest. They're bringing back all the hosts, I think, for the 30th season," she said. "I'm proud of that show and what it's become and how it really speaks to people and politics. And that's not the case when I first joined."
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.