Comedian, actor and lesbian icon Rosie O’Donnell has made a deal with ABC to return to The View, TMZ is reporting. The celebrity news source announced O’Donnell will be a co-host on the daytime show she left in 2007.
O’Donnell previously co-hosted The View from September 2006 until May 2007 and left after an on-air feud with former co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Both returned, along with the nine other current and former co-hosts, to salute Barbara Walters, who retired in May.
O’Donnell will now join Whoopi Goldberg on the program, who is the last host standing after several co-hosts left the program for various reasons over the past two months. In addition to Walters’ retirement, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy also recently announced their departures from The View.
According to TMZ, the show is also looking to add a Latina and a conservative co-host. Sarah Palin has thrown her name in the hat as a potential co-host and Mario Cantone has reportedly been offered a position on the panel, which would make him the show’s first male co-host.