Ellen DeGeneres Ends Talk Show After 19 Seasons
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After months of speculation, Ellen DeGeneres has confirmed that Season 19 will be the last for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. This news comes after a year full of controversy for the talk show host after she was accused of turning a blind eye to a toxic workplace.
‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Ends After 19 Seasons
DeGeneres has been on the air for 18 years with over 3,000 episodes, more than 2,000 celebrity guest interviews and millions of dollars given away to fans and charities. She opened up about the decision to end the show and what she hopes to do next with her career.
“I’m a creative person, and when you’re a creative person you constantly need to be challenged, which is why I decided to host the Oscars or why I decided to go back to stand up when I didn’t think I would,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter. “I just needed something to challenge me. And as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore. I need something new to challenge me.”
DeGeneres first had hesitations about extending her contract in 2018. Her wife Portia de Rossi felt it was time to end the show but DeGeneres reluctantly signed on for three more seasons. She knew all along that Season 19 was going to be her last season even when it was suggested to her to end in Season 20.
“I care about the environment. I care about animals. I care about design and furniture … So, definitely, people have been saying, ‘Why don’t we just try to go a little longer?’ But 19 years is a long time to do anything” DeGeneres added.
She Addressed Allegations of a Toxic Work Environment on the Show
Nearly a year ago The Ellen DeGeneres Show imploded with allegations of a toxic work environment. Former employees complained about receiving harsh treatment behind the scenes on the show with the motto “Be Kind.” Senior producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman were all terminated after accusations of sexual misconduct, racism and bullying came to light.
DeGeneres offered an apology during the Season 18 premiere of her show last year.
“I learned that things happen here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who have been affected” she said.
She also addressed the allegations in the recent interview and admitted she was “destroyed” by the entire experience.
“It broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience — that people were hurt in any way” DeGeneres admitted. “I check in now as much as I can through Zoom to different departments and I make sure people know that if there’s ever a question or ever anything, they can come to me and I don’t know why that was never considered before.”
What’s Next for DeGeneres’s Career After Ending ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’?
DeGeneres has established herself as an actor, comedian, and producer along with a short-lived talent show judge over her years in the spotlight. The first question on everyone’s minds is, what will she be doing after her talk show ends?
“A sitcom seems like a walk in the park compared to this, 180 shows a year,” she said. “I don’t know if that’s really what I want to do next, but movies for sure. If there were a great role, I’d be able to do that, which I’m not able to do now. I’m opening up my campus in Rwanda next year and I want to be more involved with conservation and everything that matters to me as far as the environment and animals.”
The staff on The Ellen DeGeneres Show was informed that Season 19 would be the last on May 11. DeGeneres will be joined by Oprah Winfrey to talk about this big news during the May 13 episode.
