Rosie O’Donnell says she would be willing to return to “The View” for the show’s 30th anniversary season, even if it is only for a brief guest appearance.
Speaking Monday on the podcast “Tangle With Kyle Ridley,” the former co-host said she would be open to whatever role the producers had in mind.
“I will go on the 30th anniversary next year and be on in whatever way they want me, just as a guest,” O’Donnell said. She added that she believed the program might invite former hosts back as part of the anniversary celebration.
O’Donnell also spoke warmly about the show’s evolution.
“I’m proud of that show and what it’s become and how it really speaks to people and to politics,” she said. According to O’Donnell, the program was not nearly as politically focused when she first joined the panel.
She appeared as a co-host during the show’s 10th and 18th seasons. Both of her runs ended amid reports of tension behind the scenes.
Her first departure came in 2007 after a heated on-air argument with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The confrontation became one of the most widely remembered moments in the program’s history. Years later, when O’Donnell returned, reports emerged that she had a difficult relationship with Whoopi Goldberg.
O’Donnell acknowledged that there had been tension between them.
“When I was there last, I had sort of a tense time with Whoopi,” she told Ridley.
She explained that she had gone into the experience with high expectations because of her admiration for Goldberg. O’Donnell praised Goldberg’s career and her status as an EGOT winner, meaning she has received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
O’Donnell said she imagined the two of them working together like basketball stars Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, passing the ball back and forth and leading the team. That partnership, however, did not develop the way she expected.
“I think maybe she felt encroached upon in some way, and I was never trying to encroach,” O’Donnell said. She added that she was simply approaching the show in the way she knew best, but the dynamic did not work.
Despite their past disagreements, O’Donnell said the two have since moved beyond the conflict.
Any return to “The View,” however, remains uncertain.
Later Monday, a representative for O’Donnell told Entertainment Weekly that the show had not formally invited her back. The representative said there had been some discussion about bringing former hosts onto the program during its 30th season, but no official request had been made.
O’Donnell also used the podcast appearance to criticize the culture of the show during her time there.
She described it as a “factory” where people were constantly being moved in and out, creating an atmosphere in which no one felt secure or relaxed. She specifically referred to the period when the show was overseen by longtime executive producer Bill Geddie, who died in 2023.
O’Donnell also objected to the fact that a program created by a woman, aimed at women, and centered on women was being directed by a man who decided which topics the hosts should discuss.
That arrangement, she said, never sat well with her.
While a return to “The View” has not been confirmed, O’Donnell does have another television appearance scheduled. She is expected to serve as one of the rotating guest hosts on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” while Jimmy Kimmel takes a two-month summer break.
