You would hardly know it was Rosie O’Donnell‘s final day on ABC’s “The View” Thursday. It was business as usual for the comedienne, who made few mentions throughout the episode of her abrupt departure, but she did bring a guest: her young daughter Dakota.
“Well, everybody, I just want to say thanks to all the cast here and the crew and mostly to Barbara Walters, who has always looked out for me and my life and career,” O’Donnell said to close the show. “I want to thank her for making this show and letting me be on it twice.”
Fellow co-hosts — moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Nicolle Wallace and Rosie Perez — surrounded her.
Led by Perez, the audience chanted Rosie’s name.
“We’ve had fun, and I hope we have more. I’ll come back and be doing an occasional crafting segment because I have a hot glue gun and I will travel,” O’Donnell said.
At the beginning of the show, O’Donnell danced to “Low” by rapper Flo Rida. Before she could speak, the audience clapped, chanting her name.
“Now you see, if that was every day, I probably would have stayed,” she joked. “Thank you. That was very sweet, thank you very much.”
News broke of O’Donnell’s exit last week while she was promoting her HBO special, “Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up,” in New York City, TheWrap previously reported.
She explained her reasons for leaving in a YouTube video Monday. The heart attack survivor cited the need to minimize stress while focusing on health and family. Last November, she and wife Michelle Rounds split.
O’Donnell initially joined “The View” in 2006, gaining a reputation with her outspoken manner and liberal views. She left the following year. In the summer of 2014, the network announced she would return to the panel.
Her departure is the latest in a series of seemingly endless shakeups for the daytime talker. Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd departed “The View” at the end of last season. McCarthy had barely been on the show a full season before exiting.
Watch O’Donnell’s final moments here.