Rosie O’Donnell details what her daytime TV return will look like: ‘Celebrity culture is dead’
Rosie O’Donnell details what her daytime TV return will look like: ‘Celebrity culture is dead’
Joey NolfiFri, July 31, 2026 at 3:28 PM UTC
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Elmo and Rosie O’Donnell on ‘The Rosie O’Donnell Show’Credit: Courtesy Everett CollectionKey Points -
Rosie O’Donnell previewed her daytime TV return.
The star, who’s temporarily taking over for Jimmy Kimmel on his show in August, said her agents are taking meetings to negotiate her TV return.
“I think celebrity culture is dead in America,” O’Donnell said, adding that she wants to “bring back hope.”
Rosie O’Donnell is looking to the past to mount her future in daytime TV.
The former Rosie O’Donnell Show and View host has revealed more details about her expected return to television in a full-time capacity, telling the Tangle podcast (below) that her agents are currently negotiating for her return to TV.
“It would look a lot like my old show, to tell you the truth. I think America wants nostalgia. I think what they don’t want is celebrity culture. I think celebrity culture is dead in America,” the 64-year-old Emmy winner said during the interview, in response to a question about O’Donnell’s recent social media post indicating that she was not, contrary to rumors, plotting a “takeover” ofJimmy Kimmel Live following her temporary guest-hosting gig on Kimmel’s show that’s slated for August.
She continued, lamenting the current state of daytime TV in the U.S., from which she moved to Ireland amid the second-term inauguration of President Donald Trump, with whom she’s long had a public feud with dating back to 2006.
“There was a time where, if you could get a big star on your show, the numbers went through the roof. Well, that was before the internet — really, it was before you could literally write a DM to me and I’ll respond,” the actress said. “But, I think the time for celebrity culture has died down. We’ve been in the land of gross excess in this country or a long time, and I’d like to do mostly human interest stories, tell good news, have fun and games with people like we used to, get to have Broadway on — and if a celebrity wants to come on and chat, that’s fantastic, but it wouldn’t be because they had a movie to promote.”
O’Donnell criticized the morning TV block of programming she sees in the country right now, which includes the “same lead-in questions” and the “same stories” told on each daily talk show during a given star’s promo cycle.
She clarified that her pitch to stars would be, “Who wants to come and have fun for 20 minutes?” in an effort to “bring back hope” and “bring back an hour of peaceful joy” amid divisive political turmoil under Trump.
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“I suppose, because the syndication market is pretty much dead, I think I would be open to doing it on a streaming service,” O’Donnell clarified. “My agents are taking meetings and figuring out what would be the best option, and it would be when Trump is no longer in power. That’s when I’d want it to start, and that’s when the healing must begin.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O’Donnell promo shot for ‘The View’Credit: Yolanda Perez/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Earlier this week, O’Donnell posted an image to her Instagram grid in response to a reported inquiry she received about mounting a potential Kimmel “takeover,” which she indicated wasn’t accurate.
“I leave ireland the day I’m done guest hosting for jimmy - where my child starts the 8 th grade – I’m not interested in doing late night – daytime however would be interesting,” O’Donnell wrote in response.
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In addition to starring in popular ‘90s films like Harriet the Spy and A League of Their Own, the actress and comedian memorably hosted the beloved Rosie O’Donnell Show from 1996-2002 and earned its titular host 11 Daytime Emmy wins.
She famously later joined The View panel in 2006, but exited the following year amid a high-profile clash with conservative panelist Elisabeth Hasselbeck that caused a still-standing rift in the pair’s relationship.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
