Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Caroline Rhea addresses ‘weird’ exit from signature role

Caroline Rhea finds it “weird” that she left ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch’ before its final season.

Caroline Rhea finds it “weird” that she left ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch’ before it ended.

The 61-year-old comedienne starred as Aunt Hilda on the hit 1990s sitcom alongside Melissa Joan Hart, and quit at the end of the show’s penultimate season so she could take over Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show slot, but still to this day finds it odd that she is not in the final batch of episodes.

She told UsWeekly: “That was when I went to do my talk show. So I know it was weird. And sometimes when I watch season seven, I’m like, ‘Well, this is very weird that we’re not there.’ It’s so messed up because my [whole stand-up routine] is called ‘I Identify as a witch!’

“I genuinely think Melissa’s my niece. I think Beth [Broderick] is my sister. I think the cat [Salem actually] talks!”

The former ‘Funny You Should Ask’ star helmed her talk show for just one season before Ellen DeGeneres took on the slot for 19 years and ultimately passed it on to Sherri Shepherd in 2022.

Caroline – who returned to her role as Aunt Hilda in the series finale of the magical sitcom – then went on to voice the character of matriarch Linda Flynn-Fletcher on the Disney Channel series ‘Phineas and Ferb’ and feels “very lucky” to have been on two hit shows as the cartoon returns to screens after more than a decade away.

She said: “It feels like the biggest blessing. I get greeted with so much kindness in the world because I was very lucky to be on shows that evoke happiness and innocence.

“It was a very innocent time for both of them. And then I get to be, like, a mother figure.

“It’s always cheeky and clever. can watch those episodes 10 times and get 10 different jokes. Visually it’s funny, the writing is so funny. [And] I love the characters.

“[Returning has felt] so different as an actress because 16 years ago I didn’t know how to relate to [Ashley Tisdale] as my child. And I love Ashley. I’ve known her since she was 18. So now it’s more fun for me. I just substitute in my own daughter [for Candace]. It’s so crazy. They’re both 16!”