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Elisabeth Hasselbeck blasts a Rosie O’Donnell return to The View: ‘Whoopi is not going to let anyone control her’
So much for bygones.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck clearly is still not fond of her former co-host on The View, Rosie O’Donnell, and the prospect of Rosie returning to the show has nearly caused Elisabeth’s head to explode.
Hasselbeck called into her show Fox and Friends (she’s on vacation this week) and really let loose on the reunion show, Rosie vs. Whoopi and rehashed their argument the day of the infamous split-screen.
‘Here in comes to The View the very woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network, and, really, in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there — coming back with a bunch of control, ready to regain a seat at The View table. Not surprising, I think that it’s been in the works for a long time.”
Neither O’Donnell, who moderated the show during the 2006-07 season, or ABC has confirmed her return.
It was announced last month that current co-hosts Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy would not be returning and the show’s creator and still co-executive producer Barbara Walters retired as a regular panelist in May.
On Walters’ farewell show, all of the program’s current and former co-hosts appeared together in a segment marking the first time O’Donnell and Hasselbeck were on television together since an infamous on-air argument during O’Donnell’s last show in 2007.
O’Donnell had announced she was leaving the show after a single season but was to appear for three more weeks until the end of her contract. But after the argument with the politically conservative Hasselbeck, which was allowed to go on for more than five minutes with a split-screen, O’Donnell never returned.
Hasselbeck sensed at Walters’ reunion show that O’Donnell was perhaps plotting a comeback.
‘To have such ease the day of Barbara’s goodbye show was shocking to me,’ she said.
‘She walked around with a lot of control and then when I had the chance to talk to her, Rosie herself, told me, on-set while we were mic’d up, that she produced the reunion show to have everybody together and that it was her idea. Now, do you think the woman who left the way that she did would be producing Barbara’s goodbye show? Here’s the shocker, it was actually her “Hello” show.’
Whoopi Goldberg, who took over for O’Donnell as moderator in 2007, is the only co-host officially remaining at this point.
Hasselbeck already predicts trouble between the two powerful and outspoken women.
‘Anybody who’s going to be in that seat, if indeed this all going to play out as I think it will – or already has – will have to be fully approved by Rosie. Let’s not forget: Whoopi Goldberg is sitting there and Whoopi is not going to let anyone control her. Whoopi is an (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner). She has actually more trophies in her case than Rosie, she’s the leader on that show. I’m going to be very interested to see how that goes.’
‘I don’t think it would be wise for Rosie O’Donnell to challenge Whoopi Goldberg on anything. I really don’t.’
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Charlie says:
I think ABC should hold onto Whoopi no matter what. Rosie is a loose cannon. I’m amazed that she has gotten as far as she has, being as competitive as she is. The show certainly needs some kind of something to make it interesting again.
K. Martinez says:
Anyone remember when Rosie O’Donnell had a crush on Tom Cruise? She’s been in the media circus too long for me. Other than Whoopi Goldberg who’s intelligent, it’s time for some new faces on that show.
Chip says:
Rather surprised no one has commented what a vile person Elizabeth seems to be here. She makes a point to call into her show to badmouth someone else. Classy.
Larry says:
Obviously Elisabeth Hasslebeck is trying to create tension between Whoopi Goldberg and Rosie.
Chris says:
Rosie is entertaining and is a bolt of energy. It is interesting that Hasselbeck is trying to disparage O’Donnell by saying the was planning to return to the show. It reminds me of people insulting Hillary Clinton for her “big plan” to run for president…as if planning and working to achieve a big goal is a bad thing. As if being ambitious is a bad thing. There are still a few people around that seem to get prickly when women are ambitious. I think Elizabeth might be jealous that Rosie will be cohost on a more mainstream, more watched program, while she is on a less respected network.
steve grossman says:
let blondie keep making up news for Fox and Roger Ailes and shut up. as for being on vacation…HOW CAN YOu TELL..
Joseph Frey says:
Who s Elisabeth Hasselbeck?