Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show after 19 seasons.
The popular show first aired in 2003, and there has been over 3,000 episodes to date.
According to The Daily Mail, Ellen will address the show ending on today’s episode.
Confirming the news to The Hollywood Reporter, the 63-year-old 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.”
“I was going to stop after season 16. 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.”
“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.”
The news comes after a number of the chat show host’s current and former staff members alleged they were subjected to a “toxic work environment” while working on the show.
The controversy sparked an internal investigation by WarnerMedia, which resulted in the firing of her show’s top producers – Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman.
Ellen addressed the accusations on the premiere of season 18 back in September, stating that they had made the “necessary changes” to start a new chapter.
She said at the time: “As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show. And then there was an investigation.”
“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected.”
“I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and I realise that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility at what happens at my show.”
“This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres. We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace and what we want for the future.
“We have made the necessary changes and today, we are starting a new chapter.”
“There were also articles in the press and on social media that said that I am not who I appear to be on TV, because I became known as the ‘be kind’ lady, and here’s how that happened.”
Explaining the inspiration behind her “Be Kind” mantra, she said: “I started saying ‘be kind to one another’ after a young man named Tyler Clementi took his own life after being bullied for being gay.”
“I thought the world needed more kindness, and it was a reminder that we all needed that. And I think we need it more than ever right now.”
“Being known as the ‘be kind’ lady is a tricky position to be in. The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things.”
“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. I am especially working on the impatience thing and it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough.”
“I am a talk show hold, and you know that. But maybe some of you know that I was an actress. I’ve played a straight woman in movies, so I’m a pretty good actress.”
“But I don’t think that I’m that good that I can come out here every day for 17 years and fool you. This is me. And my intention is always to be the best person I can be.”
She continued: “If I’ve ever let someone down, if I’ve ever hurt their feelings, I am so sorry for that. If that’s ever the case, I’ve let myself down and I’ve hurt myself as well.”
“I always try to grow as a person. I look at everything that comes into my life as an opportunity to learn. I got into this business to make people laugh and feel good – that’s my favourite thing to do. That and Jenga, love that game.”
“And now, I am the boss of 270 people. 270 people who help make this show what it is. 270 people who I am so grateful for. All I want, if for every single of of them to be happy and to be proud to work here.”
“This has been a horrible summer for people all around the world. People are losing their jobs, people are losing loved ones to a pandemic. People are losing their homes and lives in raging fires that are going on. There’s blatant racial injustice all around us.”
“I watch the news and feel like ‘Where do we even begin?’ So my hope is that we can still be a place of happiness and joy.
“I still want to be the one hour a day that people can go to escape and laugh. I want to continue to help all the people that we help every day.”
She concluded by saying: “I am committed to making this the best season we have ever had.”
