Rosie O’Donnell Takes Aim at Hollywood and Warns of a Changing TV News Landscape

Rosie O’Donnell is returning to late-night television this week, but the veteran entertainer has more than comedy on her mind.

The 64-year-old Emmy-winning host is stepping in as a guest host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” while also considering what a larger return to television might look like. In a recent interview with Variety, O’Donnell shared strong concerns about the direction of American television and news media.

O’Donnell was particularly critical of recent changes at CBS News following Bari Weiss’ appointment to a leadership role. She also expressed concern about the proposed deal involving Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison and Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN.

“It would be like Fox taking over all news channels,” O’Donnell told Variety. “Imagine if Fox was not one outlier and Fox was the mainstay? That’s what’s happening with Hollywood now and the Ellisons, and it’s tragic.”

She pointed to reported turmoil at “60 Minutes,” CBS’ long-running newsmagazine, as an example of the changes troubling her.

“Look at what’s happened to CBS News and 60 Minutes, which was the gold star of their entire network, and they blew it up,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell also sharply criticized Weiss and others she believes are aligning themselves with powerful figures in the media industry. Her comments reflect broader concerns about media ownership, editorial independence and the growing influence of wealthy individuals over major news organizations.

Despite stepping away from regular television hosting years ago, O’Donnell has recently discussed the possibility of returning to the format in a bigger way. She has denied speculation that she is secretly preparing to replace Kimmel permanently, but she has acknowledged that she is exploring new television opportunities.

Her vision would look familiar to viewers who remember “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” which ran from 1996 to 2002.

Speaking on the “Tangle” podcast, O’Donnell said she believes audiences are becoming less interested in traditional celebrity culture. Instead, she would prefer a program focused on human-interest stories, positive news, games and entertainment.

“I think America wants nostalgia,” she said. “I think what they don’t want is celebrity culture.”

O’Donnell said celebrities could still appear on the program, but she would rather feature them because they have something interesting to discuss than simply because they are promoting a new movie or project.

She also hopes to bring back elements of the variety-show format, including Broadway performers and lighter entertainment.

For now, O’Donnell’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” gives her a chance to return to the spotlight. But her recent comments suggest that, if she makes a full-time television comeback, she wants to do more than simply revive an old format. She wants to create a show that reflects what she believes audiences are looking for in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.