LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) – Rosie O'Donnell said Thursday her upcoming daily talk show on Oprah Winfrey's OWN channel would blend celebrity chat, game shows, news topics and a big dose of her own brand of humor.
As for controversy? Well, maybe.
"We are going to have a controversy segment," the often outspoken O'Donnell deadpanned. "No, we're not!"
"We are not going to look for controversy, but should it be germane to what is happening in the world, I am sure we will bring up current events," she added.
The fledgling OWN cable network said the "The Rosie Show" will make its debut on October10 at 7pm and run five days a week.
It marks a return to TV talk shows for the actress, comedian and activist who won multiple Emmys for "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" from 1996-2002 and who then had a short-lived and headline-grabbing stint as co-host of "The View."
But if O'Donnell's appearance promoting the show on Thursday to a gathering of television critics is any indication, it's the comic aspects of the new program that may be making headlines.
O'Donnell, 49, said she had turned down offers from mainstream TV networks in favor of Winfrey's female-oriented lifestyle cable channel, which launched in January but has struggled to gain large audiences.
"It's a huge stamp of approval that is beyond anyone's dream. It's almost like being knighted," she said of joining
OWN.
But asked how she fit in with Winfrey's aspirational programing, she replied.
"I think the reason for my success is that I am not aspirational, but inspirational because people relate to me because I am not Madonna."
"I am more the audience...no-one is at home going 'if I could only be Rosie O'Donnell, an overweight lesbian who yells too much," she joked.
She said she hoped to mix up the traditional talk show format by having celebrity guests who are happy to have fun on TV, and she put British comedian and actor Russell Brand on top of her wish list.
"I find him fascinating" she said, adding that the "epic gorgeous and fantastic" British singer Adele was high on her ideal guest list, too.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
