Is Rosie O'Donnell planning a late-night TV takeover? The comedian and talk show host gave an interesting response to rumors that she has her eye on Jimmy Kimmel's job at ABC.
Globe magazine has been tracking O'Donnell's career moves over the past few months. According to the outlet's sources, the former View co-host wants to parlay her guest hosting gig on Jimmy Kimmel Live! into a full-time job in late-night TV.
Kimmel asked O'Donnell to be part of the rotating guest host list this summer during his annual hiatus. O'Donnell is expected to make her debut in the middle of next month. But according to the Globe, she wants more. The publication went so far as to suggest O'Donnell is going behind Kimmel's back with executives at ABC in an effort to get his late-night gig.
However, O'Donnell called the report "completely untrue." In an Instagram post, she shared an email response to the Globe report. She indicated that she will return to her home in Dublin, Ireland the same day she guest-hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live!. O'Donnell went on to cite her child's upcoming school year as a reason she won't stick around.
Interestingly, O'Donnell also made it clear that she has no interest in late-night television. But the comedian did suggest she would be open to a daytime TV slot.
It would be familiar territory for O'Donnell and a genre that could deliver a built-in audience. She hosted The Rosie O'Donnell Show from 1996 to 2002. She has also co-hosted The View, while her attempt at an evening talk show (The Rosie Show) failed to gain traction.
Kimmel asked O'Donnell to fill in for him partly because the share the same dislike of President Donald Trump. But it's hard to imagine ABC would want to ditch Kimmel in favor of O'Donnell.
Kimmel has put over 20 years over work into ABC, and he's coming off a year that delivered some of his best ratings ever. Despite the controversies and suspensions, the network has indicated it wants to keep Kimmel around for the forseeable future.
The only way Kimmel is going off the air is if it's his choice. He's hinted at retirement in the past, and the departure of Stephen Colbert led Kimmel to call late-night TV "poisoned." Still, he signed a new contract and seems content to stick around for the time being.
Meanwhile, O'Donnell would likely find many more opportunities in daytime compared to late-night TV. If her response to the rumors is any indication, it may not be long before fans see her back on the air.
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