Rosie O’Donnell says she expects to return to “The View” during the show’s 30th season, although the appearance has not yet been officially confirmed by ABC.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of the “Tangle With Kyle Ridley” podcast, the former co-host said she plans to participate in the anniversary celebration “in whatever way they want” her, adding that she expects to appear “just as a guest.”
“I’m pretty proud of that show, what it’s become and how it really speaks to the people and to politics,” O’Donnell said while discussing the milestone season.
Despite her comments, her representative later clarified to Entertainment Weekly that no formal invitation has been extended. According to the spokesperson, there has only been discussion about bringing back former hosts as guests during Season 30, but “nothing has been formalized.”
The uncertainty has also drawn attention from another former panelist. Michelle Collins, who appeared on “The View” from 2015 to 2016, posted a cryptic Instagram Story saying she was “waiting for [her] call” after seeing reports about O’Donnell’s expected return.
O’Donnell has one of the most memorable histories of any former co-host on the long-running daytime program. She first joined the panel during Season 10 before leaving in 2007 following a widely publicized on-air confrontation with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She later returned for Season 18 but departed again after a single season.
During the podcast, O’Donnell reflected on another challenging relationship from her second stint on the show—her working dynamic with longtime moderator Whoopi Goldberg.
She said she entered the show with admiration for Goldberg and hoped they would work together seamlessly, comparing her expectations to basketball stars Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan leading a championship team. Instead, she said, the relationship never developed the way she had envisioned.
O’Donnell speculated that Goldberg may have felt “encroached upon in some way,” which she believes contributed to the tension between them. Even so, she emphasized that the two have moved beyond those difficult moments over the years.
“I didn’t want it to be awkward and go on there and make it awkward,” she explained, adding that she has seen Goldberg since then and believes they have both matured. “We’re grown-ass women. She’s a woman who supports women, as am I.”
The comedian also used the interview to reflect on the broader environment behind the scenes during her time on the program. She described “many, many people” receiving “the short end of the stick” as co-hosts and characterized the workplace as one where personalities were frequently rotated in and out.
“It was a factory where people were being churned in and out,” she said, arguing that the constant uncertainty made it difficult for panelists to feel secure in their roles.
O’Donnell also criticized the show's leadership at the time, pointing out that although “The View” was created by Barbara Walters as a program centered on women, it was being run by a male executive who determined discussion topics.
“It also was a show at the time that was run by a man. A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about,” she said, adding that the arrangement never “sat right” with her.
Representatives for O’Donnell, Goldberg, and ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Page Six.
O’Donnell has spoken candidly about her experiences on “The View” before. During a 2023 conversation with Brooke Shields, she made it clear that returning as a full-time co-host is not something she would consider.
“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,” she said at the time.