Rosie O'Donnell ‘I'm not as fearless as I pretend’

Iconic entertainer Rosie O’Donnell is one of the most fearless voices of our time, a trailblazing comedian, actor, talk show host, and outspoken advocate who’s never shied away from speaking her truth. From her breakout in A League of Their Own and her Emmy-winning daytime show, to her bold activism and heartfelt storytelling, Rosie has spent decades making audiences laugh, think, and feel deeply. Now living in Ireland, she’s finding new meaning in life and motherhood, and she’s in Australia for the very first time with her acclaimed one-woman show ‘Common Knowledge’. In this episode, Rosie opens up about losing her mother as a child, how grief has shaped her life, and the courage it takes to keep standing up even when life (or politics) knocks you down. She reflects on living without fame’s illusions, her friendships with icons like Madonna and Barbra Streisand, and why she once had to delete Oprah’s number from her phone. Know someone who'd enjoy this episode? Why not share it with them by tapping the 3 dots above ⬆︎ and passing it on LINKS: Catch Rosie in her critically acclaimed one-woman show Common Knowledge at the Sydney Opera House this Thursday HERE , followed by a Melbourne show on Sunday 19 October HERE If you loved this chat with Rosie we think you'll love Jess's conversation with Amy Poehler If you love what we do, why not follow the show, and rate and review on Apple or Spotify This episode is dedicated to the memory of Rosie's mum, Rosann Teresa Murtha O'Donnell, and to all the women we’ve loved and lost to breast cancer. CREDITS: Host: Jessica Rowe Guest: Rosie O'Donnell Executive Producer: Nic McClure Audio Producer: Nat Marshall Digital Content Producer: Zoe Panaretos The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show acknowledges the Gadigal people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we recorded this podcast, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples here today.

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Rosie O'Donnell ‘I'm not as fearless as I pretend’ is an episode from The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show by A Crap Housewife Production .

This episode is 23:00 long.

This episode was published on Oct 6, 2025.

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