Tattle | Rosie's ending her 'View' in June

R

OSIE O'DONNELL

, who in less than a year on "The View" was unable to agree with Iraq war proponents or

Donald Trump

, was also unable to agree on a new contract with ABC.

She'll leave the show in June.

O'Donnell said yesterday that she wanted to stay for one more year, and ABC wanted three. So she decided to leave, although she said she will appear occasionally next season for things like a planned one-hour special on autism.

"It just didn't work," she said, "and that's show biz. But it's not sad because I loved it here and I love you guys and I'm not going away."

Well, she's sort of going away.

And that's bad news for Broadway and makers of confetti, two Rosie favorites. "View" audience members may also go home with fewer CDs, theater tickets and trinkets. It's also bad for people who like reality TV. Because love her or hate her - and there's no question Rosie is a chunky lightning rod - she is about as real as it gets on daytime television.

O'Donnell has used "The View" to talk about anything - her politics, her children, her relationship with Kelli, depression, Barbra, hot flashes, etc.

When she's cranky, there's no hiding behind a smiley face. There have been shows where Rosie has sat for an hour looking like she'd eaten bad fish.

But "The View" has picked up a more genial give-and-take vibe after Rosie's bull-in-a-china-shop entrance following the departure of Meredith Vieira. There also seems to have been a thaw between Rosie and the more conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck (they rarely agree but seem to enjoy each other's company more) and Rosie has given more punchline room to fellow comic Joy Behar.

Always diplomatic Barbara Walters said yesterday she had nothing to do with the decision.

Of course Donald Trump couldn't resist going on Fox News to say what really happened and what Walters really thought.

"Barbara's the happiest person in the world that Rosie's been fired," Trump said.

Cindi Berger, spokeswoman for both O'Donnell and Walters, denied Trump's claim.

Despite controversy, O'Donnell was good for "The View," whose February sweeps ratings were up 15 percent in key women demographics over February 2006.

* This Friday, Alec Baldwin will appear on "The View."

"Extra" reported that while pre-taping the show, Alec again apologized to his daughter for his recent outburst and apparently said he wants to get off "30 Rock."

If Baldwin bolts the hilarious, but ratings-challenged sitcom, created by and starring Upper Darby's Tina Fey, it probably means curtains for the show.

There she is, you're under arrest

Tattle has been boycotting Miss America since she abandoned Atlantic City, but now that she's fighting crime we'll cut her some slack.

Lauren Nelson, the new Top Miss, whose platform issue is Internet safety for children, recently went undercover with police in Suffolk County, New York, for a sting targeting sexual predators.

The sting, which is ongoing, was filmed for a segment of "America's Most Wanted" that will air Saturday on Fox.

So far, at least four men were arrested, said Avery Mann, a "Most Wanted" spokesman.

In chats, Nelson, 20, would pose as a 14-year-old girl, she said. "Sometimes [men] would say, 'You're too young, sorry,' which is exactly what needs to happen, but some would continue chatting.

"It would only take a matter of time before it got pretty explicit."

She then arranged to meet the men at a Long Island home. Once inside, police and "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh confronted the suspect.

Busted, perv.

A 'Kickin' contest

Do you still own a pair of parachute pants? That's pathetic.

But we don't care. Send your name and mailing address to tickets@alliedadvpub.com to win one of 5 "Kickin' It Old Skool" prize packs including a signed movie poster.

"Kickin' It," stars Upper Darby's Jamie Kennedy and opens tomorrow.

Tattbits

* When it rains it pours and "Girls Gone Wild" boss Joe Francis is caught in a deluge.

In a Florida jail for contempt of court and facing federal indictments in Nevada for tax evasion, Francis can now add California courts to his Places to Visit list.

TMZ.com reports Joe has been charged in L.A. with one count of misdemeanor sexual battery. Officials told TMZ.com that Fast-Hands Francis was at a party in January and allegedly touched the breast, buttocks and inner thigh of an 18-year-old girl who allegedly didn't want to be touched.

Arraignment will be May 22.

* The Phil Spector murder trial was weird enough due to the defendant. According to reporter Eric Longabardi and radaron-line.com, the jury is also odd.

Longabardi blogged Tuesday that one of the jurors is Adam Gorfain, a senior producer for "Dateline NBC."

It sure will make it easier for the press to cover a trial if we can sit on the jury. *

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

E-mail gensleh@phillynews.com