Rosie O’Donnell aims at Trump during Kimmel guest-host debut

Rosie O’Donnell returned to network talk-show hosting this week as a guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, while Jimmy Kimmel takes his summer break. Her 4-night run began Monday, August 17, and concludes Thursday, August 20.

O’Donnell used her opening monologue to discuss her move to Ireland, her family, and her long-running feud with President Donald Trump.

She also noted that she had not hosted a television program from behind a desk in nearly 30 years. The episode drew 1.87 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen figures, the highest total among the show’s summer guest hosts at that point.

Rosie O’Donnell returns to the host’s desk

O’Donnell received loud applause and chants of her name when she walked onto the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” stage on August 17. She responded with jokes about her television past before turning part of the monologue toward Trump.

O’Donnell discussed moving to Ireland in January 2025 and jokingly warned viewers to “buckle up” if they thought Trump already disliked “Jimmy Kimmel Live!“. She later looked directly into the camera, waved, and delivered a brief message aimed at the president.

The episode subsequently became the highest-rated “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Installment among this summer’s guest hosts in preliminary Nielsen data. The episode drew the highest preliminary audience among this summer’s guest-hosted episodes.

The guest-hosting offer came as a surprise

O’Donnell said the invitation to host “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” came “out of the blue,” particularly because she and Kimmel had previously had what she described as an adversarial relationship. Her first reaction was disbelief since she had never even appeared as a guest.

She recalled receiving a call from her publicist asking whether she wanted to guest-host the show for a week. O’Donnell said she initially questioned whether the offer was genuine because she had never even appeared as a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!“.

After confirming that Kimmel wanted her to host, O’Donnell accepted. She later said she was happy he had asked and praised his strength and persistence.

O’Donnell brought decades of hosting experience

O’Donnell’s television career predates her “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Appearance by decades. The Rosie O’Donnell Show debuted in 1996 and ran until 2002, becoming one of the defining programs of her daytime television career.

She later served as a co-host and moderator on “The View” in 2006-07 and returned for another stint during the 2014-15 season. Her entertainment career began earlier in stand-up comedy before expanding into film and television.

O’Donnell also has Broadway experience, including playing Rizzo in “Grease“, the Cat in the Hat in “Seussical,” and Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof“. She also produced the Broadway musical “Taboo“. Her career includes experience in stand-up comedy, daytime television, film, and Broadway.

O’Donnell discusses her move to Ireland

O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her youngest child, Clay, in January 2025 following Trump’s return to the White House. She has said that political concerns in the United States played a major role in the decision.

During her first “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monologue: She connected the move directly to Trump and Project 2025 while also sharing a humorous story about Clay telling classmates why the family was leaving the United States. The studio audience applauded during several of the family-focused moments.

The section therefore mixed personal family storytelling with explicit political commentary rather than remaining separate from politics. The segment combined jokes with O’Donnell’s account of moving to Ireland.

Monologue focuses on Ireland, family, and Trump

The opening monologue combined quick jokes with longer, more personal stories throughout. O’Donnell spent much of her time discussing her move abroad and her family life. Much of the monologue focused on her move to Ireland and her family.

O’Donnell drew on her decades of experience in stand-up comedy and television. The monologue combined shorter jokes with longer personal stories.

Coverage of the monologue highlighted her discussion of Ireland, family, and Trump. Others focused closely on specific lines that stood out during the live broadcast.

Fun fact: O’Donnell has appeared in Broadway productions alongside her film work.

O’Donnell joins Kimmel’s summer guest-host lineup

Kimmel is taking an extended summer break in 2026 while “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Continues with a rotating lineup of guest hosts. This long-standing format lets the show stay active while Kimmel takes his own time off. Past seasons have featured a wide range of comedians and public personalities in the host chair.

This summer’s hosts have included Tiffany Haddish, Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz and Anthony Anderson, with O’Donnell taking over for the week beginning in August. O’Donnell joined the lineup after decades of work in comedy and network television. Her week as host continued this established seasonal tradition for the long-running program.

O’Donnell’s debut has performed strongly compared with the other guest-hosted episodes this summer, drawing the highest preliminary television audience among the guest hosts so far. O’Donnell’s guest-hosting week received coverage from multiple entertainment outlets.

O’Donnell revives her long-running feud with Trump

O’Donnell and Trump’s public feud dates back to 2006, when she criticized him on “The View” over his handling of Miss USA winner Tara Conner. Trump responded publicly, beginning an exchange that has continued for roughly 20 years.

O’Donnell did more than briefly acknowledge that history during her “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” debut. She used a mocking nickname for Trump, tied her move to Ireland to his return to power, warned viewers to “buckle up,” and addressed him directly while looking into the camera.

Trump had also continued criticizing O’Donnell before her guest-hosting week, including previously threatening to revoke her U.S. citizenship, something a president does not have unilateral constitutional authority to do.

O’Donnell’s debut leads summer guest-host ratings

O’Donnell’s August 17 episode drew approximately 1.87 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen Live+Same Day figures, making it the most-watched “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Episode among this summer’s guest hosts at that point. Entertainment outlets covered her television return in detail throughout the entire week.

Her opening monologue had also surpassed 2.5 million online views by August 20. More than twice the total recorded by the most-watched monologue from an earlier summer guest host.

Those figures show that the episode drew a larger television and online audience than several earlier guest-hosted episodes. Although it is too early to conclude that the appearance will lead to additional television opportunities.

Little-known fact: O’Donnell has been open about pursuing Irish citizenship after her move abroad.

TL;DR

• Rosie O’Donnell guest-hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live while Jimmy Kimmel was on vacation.
• She said the hosting offer came as a genuine surprise to her.
• Her monologue focused heavily on her move to Ireland and family life.
• O’Donnell has decades of experience in comedy, talk shows, and film.
• Her return was covered by several entertainment news outlets and shared across social media

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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