Is Rosie O’Donnell staging a TV comeback? The actress and comedian, who hosted a hugely popular afternoon talk show in the 90s, just gave her fans hope that she’s considering a return to daytime TV.
The revelation came on July 27, 2026, as O’Donnell responded to a report that she wants her own late-night show. Not true, the “A League of Her Own” star said, but she indicated she’s intrigued by the idea of returning to daytime.
Rosie O’Donnell Posted Screenshot of Her Email Response to Report She Wants a Nightly Show
Currently in the U.S. after moving to Ireland in January 2025 with her 13-year-old son, Clay, O’Donnell has been making the rounds on daytime and late-night talk shows.
Her appearances have prompted rumors that she’s eyeing a return to TV nearly 25 years after “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” ended in 2002. On July 27, she posted a screenshot of an email she received from Globe Magazine inquiring about the reports, and added the 1996 OMC song “How Bizarre” under her post.
The email said that the Globe was “preparing a story reporting that Rosie O’Donnell is eyeing a full-time return to late night after Jimmy Kimmel tapped her to guest host ‘JKL!’ in mid-August, with sources saying she may be willing to go behind his back with ABC executives to make it happen.”
O’Donnell, who opened up in May about her decision to get a facelift after losing 50 pounds, is slated to fill in for Kimmel, bwho’s on his annual two-month summer hiatus, during the week of August 17.
On the second slide of her post, O’Donnell shared her response to the email.
“Ha funny — and completely untrue,” she wrote. “I leave for ireland the day i’m done guest hosting for jimmy — where my child starts the 8th grade — I’m not interested in doing late night — daytime however would be interesting”
Fans Urge Rosie O’Donnell to Follow Through on Her Interest in Daytime TV
Immediately, fans flooded O’Donnell’s post with pleas to seriously consider a return to daytime. Pop culture podcaster Danny Pellegrino wrote, “Daytime!!!!!! Reboot TROS!!!!”
Someone else drew hundreds of likes with the comment, “Daytime?!!?!! Omg yesss please bring back the Rosie O’Donnell show!!!”
“‘Daytime would be interesting’ just made every hair on my body stand up,” someone else gushed. “Your daytime talk show is at the absolute top of any list anywhere for me. 🙌😍”
One fan wrote, “Oh dear lord… I wish you would return to daytime!!! The Rosie O’Donnell show was EVERYTHING!!! ❤️❤️❤️”
Another chimed in, “Daytime 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 pleaseeeeee come back”
O’Donnell hosted close to 2,000 episodes of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” from 1996 to 2002, per IMDb. She earned the nickname the “Queen of Nice” as she gleefully conducted celebrity interviews, fangirled over musical guests, and celebrated her love of Broadway theater.
She later served as moderator on the 10th season of ABC’s “The View” from 2006 to 2007, hosted “Rosie Radio” on SiriusXM, and returned to TV in 2011 with “The Rosie Show” on OWN.
