After over a year of controversy, it wasn’t particularly surprising that Ellen DeGeneres had made the decision to end her talk show after the upcoming nineteenth season in 2022. Still, the comedian claimed that this has been the plan all along and that the recent issues didn’t come into play at all. Regardless of Ellen’s current standing in the court of public opinion, The Ellen DeGeneres Show will allegedly focus more on the positives of her career instead of the missteps.
“The entire next season is going to be a celebration of the past 18 years,” an insider told Us Weekly. “They’re working on figuring out which A-listers and popular guests they’re going to book. It’s not going to be just the last show that’s a huge hooray, it’s going to be every show that season.”
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“This has been a very tough week for her,” the source continued. “It’s a super emotional time right now. Just the emotion she had in having to break the news to her team. Her team is her priority. She wanted to make sure that she was telling everybody way in advance, so they can have another year to celebrate and make it the best possible year they can.”
DeGeneres gave an interview with The Hollywood Reporter following her announcement, explaining that her main reason for ending the show was her need for a new creative venture. “I’m a creative person, and when you’re a creative person you constantly need to be challenged, which is why I decided to host the Oscars or why I decided to go back to stand-up when I didn’t think I would,” she said. “I just needed something to challenge me. And as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore. I need something new to challenge me.”
DeGeneres was hit with an internal investigation into her show following reports of a toxic workplace, but the host was adamant that the behind-the-scenes drama had no bearing on her decision to end the show. “”It was very hurtful to me,” she revealed. “I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season.”