04/25/2007
Rosie O'Donnell Announces She's Leaving The View
For more on Rosie, click here.
The View is losing its best asset, as rumors that Rosie O'Donnell is leaving the show are true. O'Donnell and ABC couldn't come to terms on a new contract, so she'll leave in mid-June.
Said Rosie: "This has been an amazing experience, and one I wouldn't have traded for the world. Working with Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth has been one of the highlights of my career, but my needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me. To all the viewers out there, I just want to say 'thank you' for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year. But you can always find me at rosie.com. Here's hoping there's more confetti for all of us going forward."
Barbara Walters, creator and co-executive producer, released a statement as well: "I induced Rosie to come back to television on 'The View' even for just one year. She has given the program new vigor, new excitement and wonderful hours of television. I can only be grateful to her for this year. I am very sad that ABC Daytime could not reach an agreement with her for a second year. We will all miss Rosie on 'The View,' and hope she will be back with us often next season. She remains for me a cherished friend and colleague."
And now, a few of Rosie O'Donnell's more memorable (and controversial) moments on The View:
Who do you think should replace Rosie?
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 11:04 AM EST by Andy in News, Rosie O'Donnell, Television | Permalink
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Aisha Tyler has been fantastic when she's on as a guest host. She is extremely intelligent and well-informed on many topics. I hope they hire her!
Posted by: AMR | Apr 25, 2007 11:14:25 AM
Leland.
Posted by: 24play | Apr 25, 2007 11:17:01 AM
Best asset? Since when has mean spiritedness and pig-headed ignorance been traits one admires?
Good riddance.
Posted by: Tom | Apr 25, 2007 11:24:18 AM
Good riddance indeed.
Perhaps we can get the whole show off the air. This is vapid and a waste of natural resources. Dead airtime would be a step in the right direction, and more interesting.
Posted by: W=WIMP | Apr 25, 2007 11:26:47 AM
While, I'm not a Rosie fan anymore, I liked her better when she had her own show and was the Queen of Nice, I think she will be just fine. They have told her to tone it down, and now she is way to demure, when she is best when she is telling it like she sees it.
Good luck Ro! Maybe a LOGO talk show?
Posted by: Ty | Apr 25, 2007 11:28:25 AM
Yayyyyy! Now Star Jones can come back!
Posted by: Chris | Apr 25, 2007 11:31:19 AM
Well, ABC was looking for a reason to casually remove their hotheaded host, and now they have one. Rather than say they didn't want her back on the show, they lowball her on a salary and make her look like a greedy person for not lowering her salary demands.
Now the execs at ABC don't have to spend their days justifying someone actually encouraging Americans to think and question what is happening in our world, they can put their head back in the sand and count the money in their wallets.
Posted by: Steven | Apr 25, 2007 11:32:04 AM
she supposed to be the new host of The Price Is Right, so this is no surprise. at least on a game show she won't be mouthing-off and making so much tabloid fodder.
Posted by: A.J. | Apr 25, 2007 11:32:36 AM
Margaret Cho. It's time for another full time Asian on the show.
Posted by: Scooter | Apr 25, 2007 11:33:14 AM
you think the ratings will go UP after she leaves? Of course she's their best asset.
Posted by: donald trump | Apr 25, 2007 11:34:21 AM
This was all predicted months ago. Nothing surprising here.
Posted by: anon | Apr 25, 2007 11:40:53 AM
it's been a plan as Barbara told Donald the trumpet way back and nobody in his right mind will take Rosie to spread more poison. she's one sorry ass!
Posted by: will | Apr 25, 2007 11:45:40 AM
it's amazing!!
she said that would spin her decision to leave into something it's not...and it took less than 24hrs. for it to happen, that's got to be a record.
it's simple, they wanted three years from her, and she's only willing to give them one. why do people want to find drama, where there is none.
Posted by: candi | Apr 25, 2007 11:46:17 AM
You beat me too it Scooter. Margaret Cho!
or Andrew Sullivan ; )
Posted by: Pugzz | Apr 25, 2007 11:46:51 AM
Rosie has often made we wince, even on her old show before she came out. As strident as I recognize I can be myself, it was less her verbal rocket launching than the fact that form often overtook substance. And her seeming defense of "innocent" racist comments [the Asian jokes] were unacceptable.
But I still believe that her heart was always good. Anyone remember the lyric, "This is a man who thinks with his heart. His heart is not always wise."? And even if she was only wise, say, 55% of the time, WHO else do we have? I respect Ellen immensely for what she did in the past, but save for the occassional interview with someone like T.R. Knight her show, on gay issues, is the female equivalent of The Castrato Hour. I'm not saying she force feed politics dressed in a rainbow flag track suit five days a week, but there is an opposite extreme and she has become mostly it. She might as well be straight. Yes, she appears in public with her partner, but ANYONE who has a partner can and, hopefully, does that. She is a MEGASTAR and could use her power to do something more than flip celebrity mansions, or have on guests like the homophobic comic What's His Name Hugely.
Yes, Rosie should yell a lot less, but, perhaps, if our allegedly smarter more sophisticated better informed paid "gay leaders" yelled a little more we wouldn't be the 21st Century equivalent of 1910's "Negra."
Posted by: Leland | Apr 25, 2007 11:49:35 AM
Could I actually be within striking distance of a twofer? I mean, when I wrote that it would be swell if her ship sank in the Bermuda Triangle, it was really just wistful thinking. But now that she's taking her fat ass of the air, I wonder if...
Are you there God? It's me, Pariah...
Posted by: Psychedelic Pariah | Apr 25, 2007 11:51:28 AM
Rosie created a dialogue in this country that challenged peoples' thinking. Many were made to feel *extremely* uncomfortable. I loved every minute of it. As for the Price is Right gig, they do not want her. She's admitted this through her blog...
I'm hoping producers don't bring in Sherri Shepherd. As great a comedienne she is, her born-again Christian views will no doubt take the show in an entirely different direction.
Posted by: midnight lounge | Apr 25, 2007 11:51:51 AM
Rosie has signed on to co-star in the new season of Nip/Tuck, and then her character, Dawn Budge (she was on several episodes last season) could potentially get her own show. Word from FX is that her character will "buy" the surgery center that is being moved from Miami to LA in the new season. If you missed her on the show last year, she's a hoot! Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are all scheduled to appear this season as well!
Posted by: Wayne | Apr 25, 2007 11:52:15 AM
Worst. TV. Ratings. Decision. Ever.
I think it's pretty obvious they want to get rid of her. Seriously, how else can they justify an inability to come to terms with the best ratings grabber they've had. Ever.
Posted by: Stm007 | Apr 25, 2007 11:53:07 AM
FERGIE!
Posted by: anonymous | Apr 25, 2007 11:55:29 AM
Andy Towle!
Posted by: Joe | Apr 25, 2007 12:07:32 PM
The View hired Rosie because they knew she was outspoken, opinionated, successful with her own former show and, most of all, a ratings magnet.
Talk shows are so incredibly boring when the hostesses/hosts mouth the same old platitudes, skirt around major issues for fear of offending a handful of viewers, make vacuous small talk and regurgitate the opinions of pseudo-experts rather than their own.
Go, Rosie! If you want to describe someone who is controlling, opinionated, physically unattractive and arrogant to a fault,just say the words 'Donald Trump' a few hundred times instead of the word 'Rosie'.
Since President Bush's approval ratings are so low, it's no wonder legions of viewers resent any good mentions of him, even by Rosie. Gets pretty bad when citizens of one of the most powerful countries in the world spend all their time bad-mouthing their leader and then expect the US to be loved by all other countries.
War has been around since time began and it won't end as soon as George Bush is gone; in fact, all the dastardly countries being held at bay by Dubbya will have a field day when he's finished. Who're you gonna call, then????
Yep, maybe you could call Rosie!!!!!!
Posted by: vince | Apr 25, 2007 12:10:11 PM
Who should replace Rosie? Star Jones' liposuctioned back fat.
Posted by: Scott | Apr 25, 2007 12:13:37 PM
@ANONMYMOUS
I'd love to see that, but even though the Scottish & Irish in her is enough for her to pass as white (not to mention all the baggage that comes along with her self-chosen moniker of "The Dutchess" & being on Kids Incorporated under her real name Stacy Ann Ferguson), Fergie's just too urban/ethnic, being Mexican and Native American.
& we all know how much trouble that show has with their retention of people of color & homos, so I doubt that they'll let a whitish woman whose entire career is based on her performance of race on their show.
I mean they barely let the little blond one speak as it is.
The show should be called "The View ... of Our Kind of People."
Posted by: bizasizzalizzyizzo | Apr 25, 2007 12:15:13 PM
Wow. I didn't know there was so much vitriol against Rosie. Her loudness and her big mouth; that's her schtick. That's why she was asked to be on the show in the first place. I can't believe all you catty queens are so upset with her! Maybe it's because she says the things you want to say.
As a replacement...Paula Poundstone. Better yet, Lisa Lampinelli; make 'em wish Rosie was back.
Posted by: Bill | Apr 25, 2007 12:25:48 PM