Ellen DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter she has decided to end her talk show in 2022 after years of trying to make a decision.
DeGeneres cancels ‘Ellen’
DeGeneres said she told her staff on May 11 the show would be canceled. She plans to talk to Oprah Winfrey on the May 13 show about the decision.
- The show’s upcoming 19th season will be its last.
- “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,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter.
The decision was left up to DeGeneres, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In fact, Warner Bros.’ Unscripted TV president Mike Darnel asked her in April to stay on.
- “Although all good things must come to an end, you still have hope that truly great things never will,” he said.
Why did DeGeneres decide to end the show?
BuzzFeed News reports that DeGeneres’ decision to end the show’s run came following after a tough year for both the show and DeGeneres. There were multiple allegations of a toxic workplace culture on the show, which included “sexual harassment and inappropriate touching was pervasive, prompting an internal WarnerMedia investigation.”
In September 2020, DeGeneres apologized over the allegations, according to the Deseret News.
- “I learned that things happened here that never should have happened,” DeGeneres said, according to CNN. “I take that every seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected.”
- “I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power,” DeGeneres continued, according to The New York Times. “And I realized that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”