Rosie O’Donnell May Be in the Running to Replace Julie Chen on “The Talk”

O'Donnell and Carrie Ann Inaba will join the show Friday, in possible auditions for the vacant job.

Actress, comedian and author Rosie O'Donnell attends 92nd Street Y Presents Sheila Nevins & Rosie O'Donnell on May 23, 2017 in New York City. Recent reports suggest that O'Donnell is in the running to replace Julie Chen as host of "The Talk" on CBS. (Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage)
Actress, comedian and author Rosie O'Donnell attends 92nd Street Y Presents Sheila Nevins & Rosie O'Donnell on May 23, 2017 in New York City. Recent reports suggest that O'Donnell is in the running to replace Julie Chen as host of "The Talk" on CBS. (Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage)
WireImage

The race to fill Julie Chen’s empty seat on CBS’ The Talk is on, and Rosie O’Donnell will guest host the show Friday as part of a possible audition for the role. Carrie Ann Inaba, whom Chen praised and lightly suggested as her own replacement during her farewell videotape, will also guest host Friday and may be vying for the same spot as O’Donnell.

Chen exited The Talk following the ouster of her husband Les Moonves as CBS CEO in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

O’Donnell enjoyed two stints almost a decade apart as host of rival The View on ABC. O’Donnell, who consistently acted as a headline-maker and ratings-booster for The View, would likely have major implications for CBS’ morning viewership numbers. When a Twitter user in O’Donnell’s mentions questioned that O’Donnell would be willing to move to Los Angeles as a permanent host of The Talk, O’Donnell responded, “perhaps I would.”

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