No filter required for Rosie O'Donnell's new show

[October 29, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Rosie O'Donnell isn't shying away from controversy on her new Oprah Winfrey Network talk show.

Since the variety program's premiere on Oct. 10, O'Donnell has tackled topics from her renewed, menopausal sex drive to police brutality at the Occupy Wall Street protests.

"I'm going to talk about things that matter as well as entertaining fun things. But we're not going to leave stuff out. We're going to talk about what's current -- what's happening and what people are talking about in real life," O'Donnell said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday.

O'Donnell's outspokenness about the Iraq War led to her abrupt exit on "The View," and her no-holds-barred attitude may have landed her a few high-profile enemies, but the comedian's new boss embraces her lack of filter.

"Oprah is so supportive," said O'Donnell, 49. "She said, `Trust your instincts, go with your gut, you know what to do, trust yourself.' And that's what I've been doing."

"The Rosie Show," a mashup of celebrity interviews, standup comedy, musical acts, games and reality TV, has garnered mixed reviews and lackluster ratings. But O'Donnell remains optimistic.

"We're going slow and steady," she said. "It's a marathon, not a sprint. And it's Oprah Winfrey, so I would not bet against her. That's for sure."

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Online:

http://www.oprah.com/rosie/

[Associated Press; By NICOLE EVATT]

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