Rosie O’Donnell’s Return Boosts ‘The View’ to Biggest Premiere Audience in 8 Years

Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace also debuted on the ABC talker’s Season 18 premiere

Monday’s Season 18 premiere of ABC talker “The View” landed the series’ most total viewers in eight years, with 3.902 million tuning in.

That number is strong enough to mark the second-biggest audience in the show’s lengthy history of season premieres.

Also read: The New ‘View’ Premiere Review: Rosie O’Donnell, New Co-Hosts Earned Their Applause

The rounded 3.9 million viewers marks a 20 jump from 2013’s opener, which pulled in 3.259 million total viewers.

In the key women 25-54 demo, “The View” debut also grew 20 percent — hitting a three-year high. Similarly, the show hit a three-year high among women 18-49.

Also read: Fox News’ ‘Outnumbered’ Celebrates 100 Episodes, Ratings Jump: We’re Not ‘The View’ or ‘The Five’

Monday marked the highly anticipated return of Rosie O’Donnell to the program, as well as the debuts of new panelists Rosie Perez and Republican political analyst Nicolle Wallace.

Whoopi Goldberg stayed on as host.

Also read: ‘The View’s’ New Co-Host Nicole Wallace on Meeting Sarah Palin: ‘I Was On Vicodin’

Last season, Barbara Walters said goodbye to the show she created. Also, Walters’ longtime producing partner Bill Geddie was bounced from the series and replaced by “Rachel Maddow Show” executive producer Bill Wolff.

Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy left the ABC property together.

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