Well, we knew it was only a matter of time. Ellen DeGeneres just announced that the upcoming 19th season of her once-hit daytime talk show will be her last. She’s done, folx.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres said, “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.”
We’re sure that’s it and that it has nothing to do with ratings tumbling after her summer of scandal last year that included allegations of a toxic workplace, bullying, and harassment.
“I was going to stop after season 16,” DeGeneres added. “That was going to be my last season and they wanted to sign for four more years and I said I’d sign for maybe for one.”
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“They were saying there was no way to sign for one. ‘We can’t do that with the affiliates and the stations need more of a commitment.’ So, we [settled] on three more years and I knew that would be my last. That’s been the plan all along. And everybody kept saying, even when I signed, ‘You know, that’s going to be 19, don’t you want to just go to 20? It’s a good number.’ So is 19.”
DeGeneres reportedly told staff about her decision to end the show yesterday. Next, she will sit down with her daytime predecessor Oprah Winfrey to discuss things in more detail on tomorrow’s episode of Ellen.
Here’s what Twitter is saying about the whole thing…
Ellen DeGeneres says poor ratings and toxic workplace allegations didn’t play a part in her decision to end The Ellen Show after 19 seasons.
(https://t.co/sADQIm5zC2) pic.twitter.com/lLmVV7ODKF
— Film Updates (@TheFilmUpdates) May 12, 2021
Ellen DeGeneres has announced the end of her talk show pic.twitter.com/nhsptISg4p
— Liam Gareau (@liamgareau) May 12, 2021
Now more than ever, it's so important to remember that Ellen Is Mean #ellenismean
— Chris Murphy (@christress) May 12, 2021
The Ellen Degeneres Show? pic.twitter.com/x9zJVjrz19
— ?van Ross Katz (@evanrosskatz) May 12, 2021
Funniest thing about Ellen DeGeneres' show ending is the fact that she ain't even acknowledging that what went down in the summer was a major factor
— HoliDoom (@JoeyDoomsday) May 12, 2021
Ellen Degeneres when people call her out for why her show is really ending. pic.twitter.com/P5rWLOc54k
— In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) May 12, 2021
BREAKING: Ellen DeGeneres to End Talk Show: “I Need Something New to Challenge Me”
…guess those ratings didn't see a bounce after her staff outed her for terrible treatment
— Wayne Dupree Media, LLC (@WayneDupreeShow) May 12, 2021
Ellen: ‘I Never Intended To Make Staff Feel Unsafe By Wearing A Bloodied Ram Skull And Stalking Them With A Hatchet’ https://t.co/VtpJKiKLpv pic.twitter.com/naMwGUFZsC
— The Onion (@TheOnion) May 12, 2021
Who is Ellen going to demoralize now?!?!?
— Antonio Barbosa (@TheSimian_) May 12, 2021
Ellen DeGeneres trying to convince us that her show is ending because of lack of creativity, when we know it’s Dakota Johnson who ended it pic.twitter.com/scUcqMCJU7
— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) May 12, 2021
The only people that still watch the Ellen show are middle aged white moms that laugh to minion memes on Facebook
— Cam (@caminhiding) May 12, 2021
Ellen DeGeneres to her maids after she quits her show and stays home more often pic.twitter.com/Z7DRNN8EB9
— Paddington Barely Legal (@puff_step_daddy) May 12, 2021
if you ever get a chance to get drunk with someone who worked on the ellen show i highly recommend it
— cullen "swamp trash" crawford (@HelloCullen) May 12, 2021
dakota johnson has done more for society by ending ellen degeneres than most of your faves have in their careers and it shows
pic.twitter.com/KVslhRUfi0— hi hi, nicole !! (@canaryfilmss) May 12, 2021
Liza Minnelli has outlived Ellen DeGeneres’s daytime talk show. Ellen has decided the upcoming season, the show’s nineteenth, will be the last.
— LizaMinnelliOutlives (@LiZaOutlives) May 12, 2021
dakota johnson finding out that the ellen degeneres show is ending pic.twitter.com/FMElOVzRki
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) May 12, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
DarkZephyr
Its always weird to me how Queerty seems to delight in the failures of high profile LGBT people. There are times when I wonder if Queerty is genuinely LGBT owned and operated.
Ellen not smiling at people or god forbid hating stinky breath not withstanding, when I was a teenager in the late 90s she, Amanda Bearse and RuPaul were pretty much all I had to look up to. She inspired me to not cut my wrists when almost no one else was, I don’t take any pleasure or delight in this toxic workplace scandal or the ending of her show.
wiredpup
Agreed. These pissy “queers” celebrating the downfall of one of our own if f’ing pathetic.
Cam
No, it’s that so many people have had to deal with toxic, abusive pathological bosses that we have no sympathy for a dangerous person like that just because they’re LGBTQ.
Ellen was accused of multiple hostile acts and it’s odd to me that somebody would try to minimize abusive behavior into “She didn’t like somebody’s breath”.
Two sources verified that Ellen had people fired for looking at her, a top security firm in LA cancelled their contract and refused to work for her, one employee left, got a better job, Ellen had them offer her more money to come back, so they lured her back then fired her, and multiple home staff said that she took pleasure in tormenting people.
Sorry but being married to a woman doesn’t mean you get a free pass to abuse others.
wiredpup
How’s that self loathing homophobia working for you Princess Camilla?
Cam
@wiredpup
Translation: The Ellen troll account can’t defend any of the behavior so figures that by lashing out they can deflect commentary.
Nice try. lol
Tommie
Agree.
Doug
I’m going to miss this show. Once again, cancel culture in our community has struck again. Our peers in the public eye aren’t allowed to make mistakes, learn, and move on. This woman put out very entertaining and pro-gay television.
DarkZephyr
@Cam, all of that not withstanding, I won’t be taking pleasure in the fall of someone who pretty much saved my life as a teenager even if she turned out to be a big meany later on.
For me this is something to mourn, not glory in. For me, that this all happened is very somber and not something to celebrate.
This is not about giving her a pass because she’s married to a woman (and she did a whole lot more as an LGBT person than simply marry a woman). I am not giving her a pass at all. I am just not rejoicing over it and snickering about it with snarky commentary like this is all so hilarious. This sh** isn’t funny to me.
The “work place” was pretty abusive to her as well for many many years. None of that has changed and none of that has suddenly become OK.
malerntogo
Give us all a break Zephyr! Ellen is toxic and been that way for a long time. Perhaps in the 90’s she was a Gay role model for you but for the last many years she has degraded her guests and appears to take delight in scaring them and treating them like her personal sadomasochistic puppets.
Her “Game of Games” show was the icing on the cake. She loved watching the contestants being hit with goo, tossed around and humiliated!
Honestly, I was expecting her hand to drift into her 1500 dollar pant suit and pleasure herself as the contestants suffered. She enjoyed it way to much!
Ellen as a positive Gay role model? Hardly
DarkZephyr
@malerntogo I value my life.
Cam
@DarkZephyr
I take no pleasure at all in it. It is frustrating that in exchange for making millions of dollars and having her every whim catered to, all she had to do was not be abusive and she failed at that.
Ronbo
Yes. An editor and frequent author at Queerty repeated false stories which were instrumental in killing Alex Morse’s run for Representative. The same person posted a false story attacking gay icon Glenn Greenwald.
DarkZephyr
@Cam, I understand that you aren’t taking pleasure in it, my initial post was due to those who clearly are, especially Queerty itself. But I did want to clarify for you where I was coming from based on your response. I hope she can learn from this. I know that financially she is more than OK and that in addition to being in show business she also has a successful house flipping business, so I know that she isn’t about to descend into poverty and financial ruin, but this still sucks.
miller2900
….. you summed it up perfectly! NONE of these distractors has walked in Ellen’s shoes and all the BS she has had to endure her entire television career. When one of these complainers has followed in her footsteps and has succeeded like she has then maybe I would listen. I haven’t read one of her “peers” bitch and complain like I’ve read here. Quit using social media to hide behind to do nothing but bitch especially when you don’t sign the checks that paid people all these years or can’t respond to distractors without the cowards & media twisting one’s words into something else
montegutdude
Hey man. I will miss Ellen’s show too. It surely also put a lot of good out into the world. When I’m having a bad day, I can still queue up videos of Ellen surprising people with gifts or military reunion videos iso the humanity in all that. I mean if she’s done something illegal, she should be held accountable, but her personality problems aren’t even on my radar. She’s funny. What strikes me though, is the mob’s propensity and willingness to burn witches (of all sorts) these days. Not too hard to start a fire when any spark will do.
MissTerri
I am sure her only viewers left are the unemployed people who obsessively comment on every single story here.
wiredpup
And yet, here you are.
Ironic huh?
Randumb2020
Not true. I don’t get to see her show a lot of days but when I do it’s always heartwarming to see her help others and do funny silly things to make people laugh. She is a kind person and she has many fans. And I never respond to any of this stuff but I felt the need to comment today. As far as human beings go she is way up there above many others that’s for sure
wiredpup
To all the self righteous pious pissy “queers” out there celebrating, you’re more toxic than her workplace environment.
Cam
Yes because not approving of a bully who abuses people is FAR more toxic than actually abusing people. (Eye roll)
wiredpup
Ah I knew Princess Camilla would be here clutching her fake pearls eventually.
MissTerri
Princess Camilla! Hi-LAR-ious!!!
Cam
@wiredpup
You’ve now called me that under two screenames, and it’s cute that you brought in another screename to back yourself up.
We get it precious, your troll game is old and tired and this is all you’ve got.
MissTerri
Miss Camilla is all a’flapping!!!
wiredpup
Hey Princess C , I only have one account and wouldn’t waste my time making a second one just to call you out for your BS.
You’re just not that important.
RosemarysBaby
Just wondering why you guys think that calling someone “Miss” or “Princess” is the height of hilarious comebacks? Seems a bit juvenile and misogynist to me, but maybe I just wasn’t blessed with your sharp wit.
wiredpup
RosemarysBaby Oh boo f’ing hoo.
RosemarysBaby
Yet another snappy comeback. Good for you! The other boys and girls in your kindergarten class must think you’re a hoot and a half.
Hdtex
@WiredPup
What flavor is Ellen’s crusty sphincter today?
jsmu
You’re such a weary little biatch. How’s Ellen’s cloaca tasting?
jsmu
PrinCESSPOOL, you are the queen of sock puppets. Stop the lies.
Cam
I would have bought Ellen’s comment more if she didn’t spend 80% of it trying to pretend that she always meant to leave at that time.
wiredpup
Self loathing mo says what?
Cam
@wiredpup
See, this is where you always blow it. No matter what screename you’re in, you always let your rage and obsession with me shine through and throw you off your trolling game.
But nice to see that the trolls they hire are so bad at this, that you just can’t seem to get any better at it.
wiredpup
I don’t get paid for my opinion but I bet you do.
MissTerri
TEE HEE!!!
Liquid Silver
Honestly, you two. Ignore him. He’s a right-wing troll paid to act like a left-wing troll to make left wingers look bad. It fails on so many levels it’s laughable–nobody could be that obviously stupid.
jsmu
@wiredpup Pathetic excuse for PUTAtroll says what?
ronniebs
If she was cancelled, then the the current 18th season would be her last. I’m sure the bad publicity & the decline in the ratings were bad but she’s still honouring the end of her contract next year. The studio could have cancelled her now.
Fahd
She’s independently wealthy many, many times over and it’s not as if the trajectory of her career is upward, but yet she insists on her own self-centered, “face-saving” explanations being the narrative of her show ending. To me, reveals more about her than her critics.
I haven’t been a viewer or fan in years (decades), and as a fan of some of the people’s careers that she, let’s say, didn’t foster and as someone who’s taken notice of her lack of charity and grace in other instances, I’m honestly disappointed that things took this long to catch up with here.
Looking forward to someone/something in her time slots. She really should just take the money and go.
Ryan99
Attacking women who aren’t nice enough.
Nothing new here. New and improved sexism. Now with even more self-righteousness.
Cam
Actually, it is a particularly virulent form of sexism that would try to say that somebody should b allowed to illegally abuse people and not be criticized solely for being a woman.
You also left out that the majority of complaints against Ellen were from other women….so were those women being sexist by standing up for themselves?
wiredpup
Drama queen Cam hates gays, lesbians and women in general.
Cam
@wiredpup
No matter what screename you’re under, your obsession with me remains.
How embarrassing for you.
Terrycloth
I’m surprised the way Ellen badgers her guest they don’t call her out or get up and walk out…evil Ellen gets a real charge out of torturing people with her sadistic games…when she came out on her comedy sitcom it didn’t do anything for me because I am.not lesbian..had it been a guy that would have spoken louder to me..I stopped watching over 2 years ago..I did watch her Netflix standup “relatable”. It was God awful. Painful to sit through…just move Kelly Clarkson to Ellen’s time slot..
Cam
Or even Drew Barrymore. Either one of them seem to be decently nice people.
MHaumesser
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Ellen DeGeneres has a net worth of $450 million I’m sure that she’s going to be absolutely fine!
SoloMcDaniel
Caught a few episodes of the current season and I thought she looked bored and done with everything. Maybe it was because there was no live studio audience. Not sure. I did find her funny when she was starting out. She was hilarious on Open House and had a few good comedy specials but was never a fan of this show. Not gonna miss it.
ScottOnEarth
I’m not a huge Ellen fan but I’m really over everyone bashing her and her show. Her talk show was phenomenal and very entertaining. She helped many people and had hugely-famous people on her show doing silly and fun things. This so-called revelation that she’s not saintly-nice is NOT unusual for anyone in the entertainment industry. It’s a tough, dog-eat-dog business and she shouldn’t be painted as the sole perpetrator of such behavior. This is a sad example of cancel/all-or-nothing culture. Sure, she made mistakes but we all do and, overall, she produced a really great, very long-running show that was all about spreading joy.
Randumb2020
Couldn’t have said any better myself. She is a kind person considering all things. She’s just a human being We all have our faults. But she’s a lot more kinder than most and she’s done a lot more to help people with her time than most will ever.
Enuff
Constantly amazed at the salacious glee these armchair “producers” with their “sources” enjoy bringing people down. None of you know diddly squat about any of this. NOTHING! Shit talking do nothings. never accomplished anything. You have no appreciation for what she did for you and ALL gay people. what she sacrificed. and you are crucifying her again from your potato chip bag littered couch. Watch out Kelly Clarkson or Drew Barrymore or anyone else. Its just a matter of time before these bottom feeders come for you.
BudAnderson
Cancellation is not a choice made by a show’s creators, production team, or staff. Cancellation is a choice made by higher up people. So calling this a cancellation is a misnomer. Ellen has decided not to continue. That isn’t cancellation. I know how we as a community like to use the right terms for things and if people don’t use the right terms, especially those terms that we decide are right, we get all upset. Isn’t it responsible for a publication to use the most accurate terminology in all instances? Sloppy, sloppy writing here.
Randumb2020
Exactly. 100%
RascalCali
Bitter bitter queens.
wiredpup
Yup, the “community” is far more toxic than Ellen’s workplace.
Fahd
The argument has gone past a pro/con list of the good or bad she has done-remember, it’s all about the ratings. As far as I’m concerned, I wish it hadn’t taken this long for things to catch up with her, but I’m glad they have. In this case, accountability culture has a fan in me. Not every gay celebrity – no matter how good their publicists – is my friend or someone I uncritically support.
There’s one or more people along with her that are intent on not going quietly, but considering the riches she’s amassed, it seems a little greedy to be so noisy on the way out. Whoever’s still a fan can follow her on the internet. Looking forward to 2022.
TheAbsoluteTRUTH
I guess queerty ran out of ivanka stories
Cam
Wow, even on other threads the troll account is still furious that facts about Ivanka were reported.
BigJohnSF
The trans war on lesbians continues.
tjack47
I don’t believe a word of the rumors(alleged and unsubstantiated) against her.
BoomerMyles
Yes, finally cancelled. I had a friend work as a temp on her accounting team and he was told he’d be fired if he ever approached or even made eye contact with her. It couldn’t have happened to a nastier b*tch.
davey14
Shows don’t get canceled a year in advance. Did the author of this story, Graham Gremore, write the headline and the article? If so, they don’t match. Ellen decided to end the show next year. That’s completely different than cancelation. Is Graham your media writer? Maybe you should cancel him.
TedV
Surely she can’t be any meaner than the gay men oh here reveling in the downfall of a high-profile lesbian. I don’t recall the last time a male entertainer was called out for being demanding and mean. But let a woman do it, and men – including gay men – start screaming “drown her, she’s a witch.”
Cam
I love how the Ellen P,R, trolls keep trying to take illegal hostile behavior that can destroy people’s income and ability to pay their bills and eat with “Being mean”.
Robothedestroyer
Hmmm I don’t know. I’m not saying Ellen is perfect, I’m not even saying she’s pleasant, but a lot of the allegations of her being mean or “toxic” always felt a lil fishy. Seems like every comment thread on the internet has somone who knows somone who knows somone who has some awful stor to tell.
In my eyes this woman helped pave the way for visibility for myself and most of the ppl on this forum, and I think she was railroaded out of a job. But that’s the fun part, no one really knows for sure. But hey she’s probably wealthy enough at this point to where it does not matter any more anyway.
TedV
Exactly!
Cam
You could say the same thing about Bill Cosby paving the way for visibility.
That shouldn’t excuse behavior.
She was paid millions and there were plenty of first person examples of people getting fired for looking at her, one person who left for a better job that Ellen lured back then fired a week later, that she harassed people who didn’t even work on the show, etc. She’s making millions and abusing people making 5 figures. It’s a terrible way to work.
Mr C
And yet she’s still wealthy d
Stop hating life goes on
plazaro1
Too bad, whatever happened between her and her staff has a lot to do with her fall out. Shes not what she seemed.
Never cared for her kind of humor
With all that money she can open an amusement park.
twomen4u
Thank God and Greyhound she is gone. My first partner would get into some interesting discussions about her. He thought she was funny, I did not. Finally, he told me I was the only red-necked queer he had ever known. My husband does not think she is funny so we agree.
chappy51
It’s about time! The scandal was the deal breaker, but she was getting to be a pain the past couple of years. I loved the show for years, but she should have quit yrs 4-5 years ago.
succubus
we should have suspected something when anne heche bolted….
greekboy
Twenty years ago Ellen was doing standup in 3rd rate clubs. Today she’s worth half a billion dollars. So, she pissed off some people…bfd. She had to be tough, smart and motivated. She’s done a lot more good than bad. Kudos to her and I hope the next phase of her life is as rewarding as this phase. GOOD ON YOU GIRL!!!!!
Cam
She didn’t have to be mean. When you effect people’s lives and jobs being mean to people below you doesn’t help you in the business.
succubus
she is and has always been a flake
Paul Leary
What the hell has Ellen done to Queerty and/or Graham Gremore? LEAVE ELLEN ALONE — SHE’S A HUMAN!
Cam
So are her employees.
winemaker
Finally it happened and this couldn’t happen to a more deserving toxic phony baloney. That boing said those who still watch ellen degenerate to hear about her continuing drama will have less to worry about and maybe they can get on with their lives rather than getting daily updates on this BS. This should also apply to the kardashians as well, So she’s gay, so what so are a lot of other people less famous than her. She’s played the ‘gay thing’ too damned long. It’s about time the gay community stop giving her so many accolades when there are more deserving gay people who’ve done more for other people than themselves.
SPEEDOSWIMMER
Bug-bye MEAN NASTY FAKE-BUBBLY REAL-KHUNT toxic ellen.
cuteguy
All good things must come to an end, and apparently Ellen as well
desertguy
Ellen is downright mean. I clued into that fact years ago. You could see the meanness seep from her pores. All I can say is…..SEE YA….WOULDN’T WANT TO BE YA!!!!
humble charlie
Portia must be shaking in her alimony-bootys knowing Ellen will be home more often. At least now Portia won’t have to buy another gnome for the garden.
AussieNk
LOL at everyone that thinks pretty much every celebrity isn’t an entitled egomaniac…
Ellen may have had a toxic workplace. Whatever. Celebrating the “downfall” (reaching at best as the BIG scandal will be almost 24months behind her when her last ep airs) of one of the few celebrities that stood up for gay rights, back when it cost her pretty much everything, just shows how self-involved so many of you are. She changed history. She was one of the people that made it ok to be gay. One of the few. Kinda feel Queerty is only celebrating coz they wish they were as iconic as Ellen was, after all, before extreme commercialisation ruined all of the good gay news sites, AfterEllen was the place to be.
Good luck out there, it’s a vicious world. The lesson to be learnt from Ellen’s experience, those you lift up will one day kick you in your face.
Cam
So in other words you would have no problem if your boss abused you.
mastik8
Was she cancelled or did she end the show – there’s a difference. A big one. No one takes any pleasure in what happened but she did herself no favors when she started her apology with “I learned that things happened that should never have happened…”, when she herself was the source of much of what “should never have happened”. We’ll never know what would have happened had she just owned her stuff. By example she helped a lot of people live out and proud and now by example again she is showing that no one is special enough to treat others as those accusations alleged. That she is now alleging misogyny seems to be adding insult to injury, by her own hand, against herself but there you go. It’s her life. She was great at Stand Up. I hope she goes back to her roots. We could all use a laugh.