Ellen DeGeneres has officially quit her long-running daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
After 19 seasons on air, the 63-year-old will cease production in 2022 due to it being “just not a challenge anymore”.
“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged. And as great as this show is, and as fun, as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” the host told The Hollywood Reporter.
Over the past 12 months, DeGeneres has been at the centre of toxic workplace allegations followed by what can only be described as her most disastrous interview since she began filming in 2003.
In 2019, Dakota Johnson appeared on the couch with DeGeneres suggested the actor didn’t invite her to her birthday party. Things turned awkward when Johnson went on to correct her, saying: “Actually no. That’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited.”
After the announcement that DeGeneres would be finishing up with her 19th season, the awkward encounter resurfaced on Twitter, with users even joking that Johnson had a hand in ending her career.
dakota johnson has done more for society by ending ellen degeneres than most of your faves have in their careers and it shows
— hi hi, nicole !! (@canaryfilmss) May 12, 2021
pic.twitter.com/KVslhRUfi0
The Hollywood Reporter said DeGeneres informed her staff of her decision on May 11 and will sit down with Oprah Winfrey to talk about the decision on the May 12 (PST) episode of her show.
“Although all good things must come to an end, you still have hope that truly great things never will,” Warner Bros’ unscripted TV president Mike Darnell told the outlet, before adding that the series had been an “an absolute phenomenon,” and the “premier destination for both superstars and incredible heartfelt human-interest stories.”
After a hiatus, DeGeneres returned to the set of her TV show on September 21, 2020, and delivered an apology to mark the beginning of the 18th season. During a five-minute monologue, she addressed the workplace rumours and investigation that ultimately led to a dramatic fall from grace earlier this year.
“How was everybody’s summer? Good? Yeah? Mine was great,” she said before holding her two thumbs up. “Super terrific.”
“If you’re watching because you love me, thank you,” she said. “If you’re watching because you don’t love me, welcome.”
DeGeneres called herself a “work in progress” and said that while she is multifaceted, she is still “the person you see on TV”. She continued by saying there was “a lot of things I want to talk about, I’ve been looking forward to addressing it all directly,” however, the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult.
“As you may have heard this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should’ve happened,” she said. “I take that very seriously, and I want to say I’m so sorry to the people who were affected.”
DeGeneres heralded this as a new chapter, however, admitted that sometimes she is “impatient” and gets “mad”. She also said that being the “be kind lady” comes with a set of challenges and is “a tricky position to be in”.
“Sometimes I get sad. I get mad. I get anxious. I get frustrated. I get impatient. And I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress.
“And I am especially working on the impatience thing because… and it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough.” “I am in a position of privilege and power and I realise that with that comes responsibility. I take that responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres.”
“This is me,” she said. “My intention is to always be the best person I can be. And if I’ve ever let someone down, if I’ve ever hurt their feelings, I am so sorry for that. “If that’s ever the case, I’ve let myself down and I’ve hurt myself as well.”
After the monologue, DeGeneres went on with the show.
You can watch the full apology below.
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