Rosie O’Donnell says she intends to be “a good soldier” for Jimmy Kimmel when she fills in for him on his ABC late-night show next month.
The former Rosie O’Donnell Show host and longtime Donald Trump antagonist previewed her upcoming week as guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers Thursday night.
“I’m very excited about this,” Meyers told her. “You’re going to guest host our friend Jimmy Kimmel’s show for a week.”
“And I’m thrilled to do it,” O’Donnell replied.
Meyers said he was thrilled to see O’Donnell behind a talk show desk again, praising Kimmel’s summer guest-host tradition and the show’s staff. O’Donnell, in turn, framed the gig as an opportunity to keep Kimmel’s politically charged comic voice going while he’s away.
“He and you are doing a tremendous job at alerting people through humor about the tragedy that’s occurring,” she told Meyers. “So, congratulations.”
“We’re gonna get through it,” Meyers said.
“And I hope to do the same thing,” O’Donnell responded. “I just want to be a good soldier for him and do what he’s been doing so well for a week so he can have a nice vacation.”
Kimmel announced O’Donnell as part of his summer guest-host lineup last month, making clear he knew exactly what kind of booking he was making.
“I will be taking the next two months off, this time voluntarily,” Kimmel told viewers. “And as a special treat for our commander in chief, I asked one of his all-time favorites—Rosie O’Donnell—to be here to keep the hits coming.”
“You’re welcome,” Kimmel added. “And all I ask in return, Mr. President, is that you don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
O’Donnell is currently appearing Off-Broadway in her one-woman show Common Knowledge. She’s set to fill in for Kimmel the week of August 17.
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