Rosie O’Donnell may be one of the A-listers who left the U.S. for Europe after Donald Trump‘s return to the White House – she lives in Ireland, to be exact – but she could be making a brief return to the U.S. to appear on The View for Season 30, after discussing a potential return on a new podcast episode.
The 64-year-old Harriet the Spy actress recently revealed that she would be open to returning to the talk show as a guest for its milestone 30th season if she is asked, potentially joining a number of former hosts expected to appear throughout the season. At the time of writing, her appearance hasn’t been officially confirmed, but it’s still getting social media talking…
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Rosie O'Donnell Says She'd Return To 'The View' For Season 30
While speaking on The Tangle podcast, the former Rosie O'Donnell Show star said: "They're bringing back all the hosts, I think, for the 30th season."
She then said she would be happy to get involved "in whatever way they want me" as a guest, adding that she's proud of how the show has evolved over the years, particularly when it comes to its political coverage.
"I'm pretty proud of that show, what it's become, and how it really speaks to the people and to politics. [It] was not the case when I first joined," the A League of Their Own star said.
Rosie O'Donnell Previously Had Tension With 'The View' Co-Hosts
Fans may remember that Rosie first joined The View during Season 10 in 2006, but left the following year after her infamous on-air clash with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She later returned for Season 18 in 2014, but departed again five months later amid reports of tension with Whoopi Goldberg.
O'Donnell has since claimed that the explosive argument with Hasselbeck over the Iraq War may have been a "setup" by producers, pointing to the decision to use a split screen during the confrontation as evidence that the drama may have been anticipated. Hasselbeck pushed back against that claim at the time, telling O'Donnell to stop "lying" and saying she forgave her despite their differences.
O'Donnell opened up about her relationship with Goldberg on the podcast, explaining that she had hoped the two would work together as a strong team if and when she returned to the show. "I admired Whoopi, wanted to be on her team, had respect for her, and I expected we would be like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan passing the ball back and forth, shooting and leading the team to victory," she explained. "And that's not exactly what happened."
O'Donnell admitted she suspected Goldberg felt "encroached upon" by her presence. "I didn't want it to be awkward and go on there and make it awkward, but I've seen Whoopi in the years past … and we've gotten past it," she continued. "We're grown [expletive] women. She's a woman who supports women, as am I."
The Sleepless in Seattle actress also criticized the fact that the show was being run by a man during her time there, despite its focus on women. "A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about," she said.
'The View' Has Not Officially Invited Rosie O'Donnell Back, And The Internet Has Mixed Reactions
Despite the excitement surrounding Rosie's comments, it appears her return to The View is far from official, with her representative confirming that no formal invitation had been made. (This is still true at the time of writing.)
"There was a mention of inviting some of the hosts back to The View as a guest during season 30, [but] there has not been a formal ask from the show at this time,” a representative for O'Donnell told People on August 3rd. The rep also told the outlet that current co-host Ana Navarro had mentioned O'Donnell appearing during Season 30 as a guest "at some point during the season," but that "nothing has been formalized."
The show's executive producer, Brian Teta, also appeared to clarify the situation on X on August 4th, writing: "We love seeing all the excitement about The View's 30th. Lots of plans are in the works, but no invites have gone out."
Still, Rosie's comments sparked plenty of excitement among fans, with some hoping to see her back on the show for its milestone season. Others weren't nearly as enthusiastic about the possibility…
"You better bring Rosie back!" exclaimed one fan on X. "@Brianteta please bring back everyone including @Rosie and @michcoll! One big View co-host reunion!" begged a second, as a third clarified: "Rosie said she 'would' return, not she is absolutely going to return. Calm down people."
"Rosie O'Donnell joining The View is like pouring gasoline on a dumpster fire," thought a fourth, non-fan shall we say. "Have you heard Rosie O'Donnell is returning to The View?" asked a fifth.
The same fan added: "The woman is crazy and should be institutionalized. She moved to Europe when Trump was elected because she has stage 5 TDS and feared for her life. Now she will really know fear. Why does that network even exist?" A sixth quipped: "Oh dear, did Ireland kick her obnoxious self out! Shocker."
