Howard Stern Says Ellen DeGeneres Should Make This Out-There Change When She Returns

Howard Stern is lending his advice to Ellen DeGeneres following the allegations against her and her show. The longtime radio host is encouraging the comedian just to own it once she returns and “change” her image entirely. Recently, former show workers have come forward accusing DeGeneres and the show of creating a toxic work environment, even leading one woman who served the 62-year-old at a restaurant to share her story as well.

“You know what I’d do if I was Ellen?,” Stern started to say on his SiriusXM show, according to Us Weekly. “I would change my whole image. I’d go on the air and be a son of a b—. People would come on, and [I would] go, ‘F— you [and] just be a prick.’” He added, “So you think I’m a pr—k? I’m going to show you exactly. […] I’m known on the air as a pr—k, but off the air, I’m known as a great guy, you know, for the most part.”

What started with an initial report by BuzzFeed, led into a trickle of following stories regarding DeGeneres. On July 30, she sent a letter to her staff that said, “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”

Just days later, former show DJ, Tony Okungbowa, who deejayed from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2007 to 2013, said he stood by his former co-workers after appearing on more than 1,600 episodes. “While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment, and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward,” he said. Chris Farah, who is now a comedian but former waitress, said she served DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi in 2014 and because of her chipped nail polish at the time, DeGeneres wanted her suspended. When the restaurant tried to follow through with it, Farah ended up quitting, instead, to pursue a career in comedy.