‘Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Season 18 Premiere: How to Watch First Episode Back Since Controversy, Hiatus

The Ellen DeGeneres Show had one of its most anticipated season premieres of all time on Monday, and it’s not too late to watch. The show is syndicated, airing on different networks in different locations, and its back catalog is not added to any streaming services just yet. Still, it might be worth it to see Ellen DeGeneres’ first time back on stage after the “toxic workplace” controversy of the summer.

First and foremost, fans can catch up with DeGeneres on the show’s dedicated website, EllenTube. The site has clips from the show uploaded in real-time, and from past episodes as well. It also provides TV broadcast information based on your location, letting you know when you can catch the show or when to set your recording device. For the season premiere, there are six clips, showing the highlights for the episode.

Of course, most of those clips can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well, although EllenTube is the central hub for all of them. As for the full episode, it can be watched with a “skinny TV bundle,” such as Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV, but it must be recorded with a DVR or similar device.

In the case of this week, most fans are probably interested in catching DeGeneres’ opening monologue, where she addressed the controversy that wracked her show over the summer. It began with a BuzzFeed News article where 10 anonymous former employees of the show discussed the “toxic work environment,” saying that DeGeneres herself is not as nice as she appears onscreen, and often promotes mean-spirited behavior.

Two weeks later, the story escalated when BuzzFeed spoke to 36 former employees of the show. They accused three high-level executive producers of sexual misconduct by name and said that there was little chance that DeGeneres didn’t know about their behavior. Finally, a few days later, BuzzFeed released an interview with one more former employee who said that DeGeneres “didn’t just turn a blind eye,” but encouraged sexual harassment, racism and mistreatment of employees on set.

DeGeneres did her best to answer for all of this on Monday. While she was apologetic to the employees who were hurt, she refuted the accusation that her on-screen persona and her “be kind” mantra are an act.

“The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things,” she said. “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… This is me, and 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’m so sorry for that.”

The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs on weekdays. Check your local listings.