rosie o'donnell (63 posts)

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Showbiz feuds may come and go, but Rosie O'Donnell and TV hosting gigs are here for the long run.

The erstwhile Queen of Nice—or piggishness, if you're Donald Trump or perhaps Elisabeth Hasselbeck—is returning to the airwaves just in time for the holidays, signing on to host Rosie's Variety Show as a one-off special for NBC.

The hourlong show, airing live Nov. 26—the night before Thanksgiving—could develop into a regular series should enough Nielsen-boxed viewers tune in to the program.

O'Donnell and NBC seem to be throwing everything they can into the show to ensure a something-for-everyone appeal.

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Rosie O'Donnell's marriage is not on the rocks, thankyouverymuch.

Never one to back away from a public war of words, O'Donnell has lashed out at a rumor started by veteran Page Six gossip maven Cindy Adams alleging O'Donnell's marriage to Kelli Carpenter had hit the skids.

"I called Rosie this morning, and she said she thinks Cindy Adams is a lesbian but doesn't know it yet," O'Donnell's rep, Cindi Berger, told E! News. "Rosie said she's leaving Kelly for Cindy."

If nothing else, that ought to sell some papers.

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Barbara Walters lacks passion? A certain former senator from Massachusetts may respectfully disagree, but Rosie O'Donnell has wasted no time in calling out her former coworkers' lack of heat as one of the causes of tension on The View.

"Passion on that show was not number one," O'Donnell said on the Today show. "Some people confuse passion for rage. I have a lot of passion about things I believe in."

The oversize personality also said that, despite appearances, she never stirred the pot for controversy's sake, simply for honesty's.

"When somebody would say something that I found insane, I would say, 'That's insane.' "

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Rosie O'Donnell's return to the world of talk has been short-circuited by her own big mouth.

In a posting to her blog Wednesday night, O'Donnell revealed that negotiations with MSNBC to host her own prime-time show had fallen apart due to her inability to keep quiet about the potential deal.

"We were close to a deal/ almost done/ i let it slip in miami/ causing panic on the studio end," she wrote in her trademark punctuation- and grammar-eschewing free verse. "Well/ what can u do.

"2day there is no deal/ poof/ my career as a pundit  is over/ b4 it began."

Still, O'Donnell doesn't seem to be too distraught.

"Just as well/ i figure/everything happens for a reason/ bashert—as we say," she wrote. "And on we go."

Word of the proposed deal, which would've seen O'Donnell in the 9 p.m. time slot, immediately after Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's schedule and talking head-to-talking head with CNN's Larry King, was first reported Monday by the New York Times. The newspaper indicated that cautious conversations had begun between O'Donnell and the network.

Apparently not cautious enough, at least for O'Donnell.

The boisterous talk-show vet failed to keep mum about the back-and-forth, dropping hints of a potential return to the airwaves on several stops of her book-signing tour for Celebrity Detox.

During a stop in Miami on Sunday, O'Donnell told fans she would soon be competing against "the guy with the suspenders and the long, long face"—as in, King.

On Tuesday, during a stand-up show at the New York Comedy Festival, after reports of her discussions with the cable net had already made the rounds, O'Donnell again played not so coy with the audience.

"We're filming for an unidentified TV station, which I was told I was not allowed to mention," she said during the gig. "You don't tell me what I'm not allowed to say, because then I can't help but say it!"

She went on to prove her point.

"They told me not to mention this possible show, and they are men in business suits. Nothing is scarier than men in business suits screaming at you over the phone."

O'Donnell's last television foray ended abruptly in May, when she departed The View before the end of her one-year contract after an on-air bustup with Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

Rosie O'Donnell could soon be giving Larry King a run for his money.

The former View cohost is in talks to join MSNBC as the host of a new prime-time show on the cable news channel, sources say.

The show would likely focus on current events and would premiere in time for O'Donnell to offer her distinctive take on the upcoming presidential election.

O'Donnell's rep had no comment on the situation.

NBC would not confirm details of the negotiations but published reports suggest that O'Donnell's new show would be slotted during the 9 p.m. hour, where she'd face off against CNN's Larry King Live and Fox News' Hannity & Colmes.

The show would replace the low-rated Live with Dan Abrams, which in turn recently replaced the similarly low rated Scarborough County.

In a speech she gave Sunday night at a book signing in Miami, O'Donnell alluded to her new gig, saying she would soon be competing with "the guy with the suspenders and the long, long face," according to a podcast posted on lyingonthebeach.com. 

Various reports quote network insiders as saying talks are still under way and that issues such as the size of O'Donnell's paycheck and whether she would also be seen on NBC have yet to be hammered out.

Since abruptly departing The View in April, O'Donnell has been weighing a number of offers and was at one point a frontrunner to take over hosting duties on The Price Is Right. (Drew Carey was ultimately selected for the job.)

However, when it came to selecting her next source of employment, she has been taking her time.

"Here's the thing. I don't really need a job. I'm in a weird position. I don't need the money," she wrote on her blog in June.

"I know you're not allowed to talk about money in America, but I'm just saying I don't."

In the meantime, O'Donnell is due to return to FX's Nip/Tuck for a fourth-season guest arc, reprising her role as unfortunate lottery winner Dawn Budge.

The outspoken TV personality has also penned a memoir titled Celebrity Detox, which was released last month and debuted at number five on the New York Times' bestselling-nonfiction list.  

Talk about your spoiler alerts.

Capping weeks of intense speculation, actress-comedian Sherri Shepherd is set to fill the fifth and final seat on The View.

Barbara Walters will make the announcement official during Monday's show.

The 40-year-old entertainer had been expected to be part of the View crew when the new season debuted this week, joining new moderator Whoopi Goldberg in Walters' revolving team of coffee klatschers.

But Shepherd, who has served as guest host on many occasions, including an extended run in the hot seat this summer, reportedly balked at her initial contract offer, and negotiations dragged on.

Shepherd, who achieved moderate fame with a long-running stint on ABC's Less Than Perfect, as well as roles on The Jamie Foxx Show and the recent big-screen bomb Who's Your Caddy?, will fill the spot vacated by Star  Jones Reynolds more than a year ago, marking the first time since spring 2006 that the chatfest will be able to boast a full fivesome at the table.

For the time being, anyway. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is temporarily jumping ship this fall for maternity leave—she's expecting her second child with football-tossing husband Tim Hasselbeck in November.

Walters announced on Wednesday that she would be naming the newest member of the daytime show next week.

"It's been empty for a year, but this Monday, Sept. 10, if you tune in, you will find that we have somebody else joining the panel permanently," she said.

"I was only here a day, you replacing me already?" Goldberg said in reply. "Oh, my God, oh, my God!"

Goldberg needn't worry about job security just yet.

While her View debut on Tuesday drew 3.4 million viewers—a full million less than Rosie O'Donnell's 4.4 million-strong debut at this time last year—it still marks the second-best season-premiere figures of the show's 11-year history.

But while critics have already begun to deride Goldberg's reign as the safe, and some may say bland, antidote to O'Donnell's tenure in the seat, she has already won over one viewer.

"It was all right. It was good. Whoopi was good," O'Donnell said of her successor's debut in a videoblog posted to rosie.com. Though her praise for the new season seemed to begin and end with Goldberg.

"It was okay...It was interesting."

Oddly enough, O'Donnell seemed to take the most issue not with The View's choice of host but with the revamped set.

"I was sad that the set was beige," she said. "Truthfully, it was just wrong. Maybe people like beige, and I'm the only one who doesn't...Why did they change the set back to beige? That was an error in judgment."

Rosie O'Donnell's out with a new blog post and that can only mean one thing—someone's on her diss list.

And that someone is Paula Abdul.

The erstwhile Queen of Nice first noted the American Idol's oddball behavior during a segment of ABC's The View back in January; now, O'Donnell devoted her twisted poetics to Abdul's train wreck of a reality series, Bravo's Hey Paula!

right now
paula abdul would yell action
and the result would be
what we all see
there are times
u r so broken
fragile
pain filled
love less
desperate
raw
vulnerable
needy

hey paula
we cringe
at r selves
thru u

O'Donnell first began cringing publicly at Abdul after Idol premiered this season. During a day-after post-mortem of the Fox reality contest on The View, O'Donnell laid into Abdul and fellow judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell for mocking a contestant's physical appearance. Then O'Donnell suggested the "Straight Up" singer was "probably intoxicated."

"Paula was very thirsty last night. Did anyone else notice?" she quipped. "Every [camera] shot, that woman was sipping the 'Coca-Cola' in her cup. And towards the end of the show, one eye was wandering."

Calls to Abdul's Bravo reps seeking comment were not returned. But the 44-year-old Idol judge and long-ago Grammy winner has steadfastly denied that her sometimes strange behavior stems from drug or alcohol use, claiming instead that she suffers from a neurological disorder that causes chronic pain.

She has also stated that she was battling exhaustion while shooting Hey Paula, which contributed to her zoned-out antics.

O'Donnell, however, doesn't seem to believe Abdul, as she writes in her July 19 blog entry:

hey paula
should merge with INTERVENTION
like when the jetsons met the flintstones
that would b compelling tv

In message board posting on O'Donnell's site, one reader expressed concern about Abdul's health.

"I am sad whenever I watch Hey Paula. I am sadder when I see no one helping this woman," wrote a poster named Barbara. "Can you help her? Everyone else seems to think she is incoherent due to lack of sleep. I do not think this is so."

"I don't either," replied O'Donnell.

Rosie O'Donnell is returning to a show that's mastered the art of image manipulation—no split screen required.

The former View master is set to reprise her role as lottery winner Dawn Budge on the forthcoming fifth season of Nip/Tuck, an FX spokesperson confirmed to E! News.

It's unclear exactly how many episodes O'Donnell will appear on or whether this stint, her second on the series, will serve as a setup to an oft-rumored spinoff for her character. O'Donnell does have a nice hourlong-show-sized hole in her schedule.

Oliver Platt has also signed on to appear on several episodes, playing a love interest for O'Donnell's character. Platt will star as the executive producer of the fictional soap Hearts and Scalpels, of which the McNamara/Troy team become creative consultants. His character is loosely based on Nip/Tuck series creator Ryan Murphy.

Also coming aboard as a guest star is Portia de Rossi, who will appear as a manipulative lesbian mother whose teenage daughter wants to go under the knife.

While O'Donnell and the others are looking forward to filming their parts for the new season, she is currently spending her days filling her blog.

The onetime Queen of Nice set off a new firestorm of criticism earlier this week, posting a photo online of her four-year-old daughter, Vivi, donning a toy ammo belt while decked out in camouflage fatigues.

As fans and Tom Selleck will no doubt recall, O'Donnell has long been a staunch advocate of gun control and an outspoken opponent of the current war.

O'Donnell—who told readers that Vivi, influenced by two older brothers, chose the outfit herself for dressup—posted remarks both scathing and appreciative in a post entitled "a picture is worth a thousand posts."

"The latest photo of Vivi is brilliant and disturbing," wrote Sandy. "Sickening to know that this is reality for thousands of children around the world. Sometimes sister-friend, you break my heart. Thank you."

"OH SNAP!" wrote reader Joanne. "That picture of VIVI is so real, that it is scary...to think, places in the world children are trained to kill, dressed like that. SHOCK AND AWE! WOOP THERE IT IS! Dear God!"

A commenter going by the name David, meanwhile, wrote "that picture is gross! I am disturbed...leaving your site for a clearing of my mind as to what you are up to."

In response to the comment bombardment, which ranged from calling the image "disturbing," "offensive," "brilliant" and "sick," O'Donnell posted a video montage of images of her daughter in various costumes. The clip opens with the words "last year a princess," after which Vivi is shown donning a pink gown, and "this year a soldier," which features the current controversial image.

O'Donnell continued to answer reader inquiries and sound offs in the Ask Ro section of her site Tuesday, defending the bandolier picture by saying "art can't hurt u," and calling coverage/criticism of the photo on cable news channels and entertainment shows "pathetic."

"U have 2 ask y this is news," she wrote.

Rosie O'Donnell is in full support of Britney Spears showing her True Colors.

In a video blog on her Website, O'Donnell waxed enthusiastic about the possibility that the tarnished pop princess might be making a guest appearance alongside Cyndi Lauper later this month.

"Brit, if you're watching, honey, you and me—we're gonna share, like, a backstage moment, 'cause I love you, kid!" said O'Donnell, who has been playing the drums for some of Lauper's performances.

Rumor has it that Spears will join the True Colors tour for the Los Angeles stopover at the Greek Theater on Saturday. Her choreographer told People last week that the singer had been auditioning male backup dancers in anticipation of the performance.

However, as O'Donnell tells it, Lauper would be among those surprised by a surprise Spears appearance.

"Cyndi says it's not happening and it's Cyndi's tour, so she would know," O'Donnell said.

But the former View cohost isn't giving up hope just yet.

"If it is happening, I'm thrilled, because I enjoy Britney," she said.

Tour organizers had no comment on the situation.

Last month, Spears performed several (poorly kept) secret shows at venues in Southern California and Las Vegas marking her first live appearances in almost three years.

The mother-of-two has reportedly been hard at work on a comeback album, though no release date has been revealed.

In the meantime, Spears recently unveiled a new cryptic message on her Website, reading: "Mother to Grandmother, and my my, you're grand."

No word on what the pop star meant by the message, or if it was intended for her own mother, Lynne Spears, with whom she has reportedly had strained relations of late.

Whether or not Spears makes an appearance, there will be plenty to take in at Saturday's True Colors concert.

Aside from Lauper, other acts scheduled to take the stage include Erasure, Debbie Harry, the Dresden Dolls and the MisShapes. Margeret Cho will serve as emcee and O'Donnell is expected to perform a standup act.

The Price may be right, but the location is wrong for Rosie O'Donnell.

After meeting with the producers of the game show for a "nice lunch" last week, O'Donnell posted a video message on her Website Sunday, saying "it looks like it ain't gonna happen."

The problem apparently lies in O'Donnell's reluctance to relocate to Los Angeles, where The Price Is Right is taped.

"Here's the thing. I don't really need a job. I'm in a weird position. I don't need the money," O'Donnell said in response to a fan's email questioning her unwillingness to move.

"I know you're not allowed to talk about money in America, but I'm just saying I don't," she continued. "So to get my entire family uprooted from their lives and move them across the country so that I can have a fantasy childhood indulgence job just doesn't seem fair."

The former View cohost and her wife, Kelli, live outside Manhattan with their four kids: Parker, 12, Chelsea, 9, Blake, 7, and Vivi, 4.

"They all are in school, they have friends, we love their school, we love our community, our house, our life, our home," O'Donnell said. "If they were able to do [the show] in New York it would be a different story."

Speculation that O'Donnell would replace Bob Barker, who resigned as host this year after 35 years, began earlier this month, with the outspoken comic writing on her Website that she "sure would" accept the gig if it were offered.

Barker himself expressed confidence in O'Donnell's abilities to take over the show, saying at the Daytime Emmys that he had "no doubt" she could handle the job.

However, O'Donnell later backed away from her initial enthusiasm about the possibility of becoming the new host, admitting in a video message that she wasn't sure she was the right person for the Price.

"It would be good for me, but I don't know if it's right for them," she said.

Other hosts reportedly in contention for the Price gig include former E! personality Todd Newton (E! Online is a division of E! Networks), Mark Steines of Entertainment Tonight, John O'Hurley, George Hamilton and Drew Carey.

CBS and FremantleMedia have not commented on the show's future. The new season of The Price Is Right begins this fall.

With Price apparently out of the picture, O'Donnell seems to be in no hurry to line up additional prospective projects.

"i have no plans," she wrote on her Website.

Which is not to say that her schedule's completely clear. 

FX has confirmed that O'Donnell will make a return to Nip/Tuck for several episodes, playing lottery winner Dawn Budge.