Ellen DeGeneres Is Ending Her Daytime Talk Show Because It's 'Not A Challenge Anymore'

May 13, 2021 by apost team

After nearly 18 years on the air, Ellen DeGeneres announced on Wednesday, May 12, that she would be ending her award-winning NBC talk show. In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres confirmed that the upcoming season, the show’s 19th, would be its last. The news comes after a variety of outlets reported on the show’s toxic workplace culture. The first inklings of the show’s behind-the-scenes toxicity came to light in 2014 when DeGeneres’ bodyguard said that the comedian was unfriendly, according to BuzzFeed News. Years later, in April 2020, YouTube influencer Nikkie de Jager criticized the television host for her “cold and distant” attitude following a January 2020 appearance on the show. But it wasn’t until July 2020 that BuzzFeed news reported on the show’s toxic workplace culture in a bombshell exposé, which included interviews from 10 former employees and one current worker on the show.

Since then, DeGeneres has had to contend with a barrage of negative press, criticisms of the show and an internal investigation. What makes DeGeneres’ fall from grace particularly surprising, especially for long-time fans of the show, is that the television host was known for her good-natured persona. She would often use the phrase “be kind to one another” as a sort of mantra on the program, in addition to presenting guests with expensive gifts. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was also a TV success story, having won more than 60 Daytime Emmy Awards for its cumulative 3,000 plus episodes on NBC. However, that will all come to an end in the spring of 2022 with the show’s final season.

While the Daily Mail broke the news of the 63-year-old host’s decision to end the show, DeGeneres opened up for the first time in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“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 said of the show’s departure in a May 12 interview with the publication.

In the exclusive interview, DeGeneres also spoke to the controversy surrounding the show, addressing the internal investigation that WarnerMedia launched in the summer of 2020.

“So, there was an internal investigation, obviously, and we learned some things, but this culture we’re living is (is one where) no one can make mistakes,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter. 

“And I don’t want to generalize because there are some bad people out there and those people shouldn’t work again, but in general, the culture today is one where you can’t learn and grow, which is, as human beings, what we’re here to do. And I can see people looking at that going, ‘You don’t care about what people (went through).’ I care tremendously. It broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience — that people were hurt in any way.”

In August 2020, three top producers on the show — Kevin Leman, Ed Glavin and Jonathan Norman — were fired for misconduct, which Warner Bros. confirmed in a statement. The show, however, was already in a downward spiral. According to BuzzFeed News, not only was DeGeneres losing advertisers and facing low ratings, but she was also struggling to find well-known celebrities who would come onto the show.

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Since the allegations, Warner Bros. executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly, and Andy Lassner released a joint statement to BuzzFeed News addressing many claims of toxicity:

"Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment ... For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better."

Up until the allegations of workplace misconduct, the DeGeneres was a beloved pop-culture icon with a loyal following of fans. The comedian got her big break in 1994 when she was the star of the ABC sitcom “Ellen.” When the show ended in 1998 after more than 100 episodes, it took DeGeneres five years to cook up “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which premiered in 2003.

Mike Darnell, Warner Bros. unscripted TV president, reportedly encouraged DeGeneres to keep going with the show, calling the program “an absolute phenomenon.” But it seems that DeGeneres has made up her mind. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if she ever “wavered” when it came to the decision to end the show, DeGeneres gave a straightforward answer.

“No. When we did our 3,000th show, they showed that highlights montage and everybody was emotional. We all hugged and everyone had tears in their eyes, and Mike Darnell was here going, ‘You really want to (end this)?’ Look, it’s going to be really hard on the last day, but I also know it’s time,” DeGeneres said.

What do you think about DeGeneres’ decision? Do you think she should cancel the show? Let us know — and be sure to pass this news on to friends and family members.