Rosie O’Donnell named new co-host of "The View"

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Barbara Walters officially broke the news Friday at the Daytime Emmy Awards that former talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell will replace Meredith Vieira as the new co-host of The View.

“Well, thank God, because it was either that or Celebrity Fit Club," O'Donnell joked, when she joined Walters on stage for the announcement. Humor like that is why we love Rosie.

Kudos to Walters for this brilliant casting move. O’Donnell had a huge following with her former talk show and will undoubtedly bring a lot of viewers with her. (Perhaps, even me.) Admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of The View. (Ducking for cover.) I’ve tried several times to watch the show, but can’t seem to make it through an entire viewing. All the ladies have an annoying habit of talking over one another at the same time, making the conversation inaudible and making me reach for the ibuprofen and the remote.

O’Donnell was once nicknamed “The Queen of Nice.” I’m anxious to see if she can maintain that image, or if she even wants to, sitting beside Star Jones Reynolds and the rest of the gals. Viewers of The Rosie O’Donnell Show watched Rosie temporarily shed her “nice” label when she verbally attacked guest Tom Selleck about his affiliation with the National Rifle Association. (Selleck had come on to promote a movie, but the highly emotional exchange quickly put an end to that.) I saw it live, and it was one of the most awkward moments ever on television. You all know my deep affection for Magnum P.I., so obviously I was miffed at his shabby treatment. But we all have bad days, so I’m not judging. Still, it will be interesting to see if Rosie will be judgmental of politics/associations/lifestyles that she passionately disagrees with, or if she’ll simply contribute her “view” without drawing blood from her co-workers or guests. I know I’ll be tuning in to see what happens. She debuts in September. Welcome back, Rosie. We’ve missed you!

Tube Talk Girl can be reached by e-mail at jennifer@tube-talk.com.

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