Entertainment

Ellen DeGeneres’ Talk Show Finally Ends After Almost 20 Years & Over 3,000 Episodes

2022-05-28 , 1:05 pm

Even if you haven’t watched a talk show in years, I’m sure you know The Ellen DeGeneres Show, one of America’s most beloved talk shows.

Since its inception in 2003, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has hosted hundreds of celebrities and others on the show, with Ellen DeGeneres serving as host and executive producer.

But all good things must end, and the iconic American talk show ended its run after 19 seasons on Thursday (26 May).

Premise of the Show

As its name suggests, the show was hosted by DeGeneres, 64, and every episode of the show saw A-list celebrities from all industries snag seats on her show, whether it was to promote their new work or just have a casual chit-chat with the endearing host.

Uh, yes. A casual chit-chat watched by millions of people across the world, but you get what I mean.

From Backstreet Boys to Sofia Vergara and even former U.S. President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, it’s pretty safe to say that almost every Western celebrity you can think of has probably been on the show.

DeGeneres also used her show to help those in need, often bringing out huge checks (both literally and figuratively) for audience members of hers who were struggling with getting by in life.

And apart from speaking to guests, the show also featured various short segments of all kinds, with many of them showing off funny photos from the Internet and Degeneres offering commentary.

Over the years, she even launched various pranks on celebrities, and those who have fallen for her pranks multiple times include singer Taylor Swift and actor Eric Stonestreet.

With such connections in the entertainment industry, it’s not hard to see why and how DeGeneres has become so beloved by not just the American audience, but audience and celebrities around the world as well.

Significance of the Show

Apart from providing some celebrity gossip and allowing audience members to take a peek into celebrities’ personal lives, the show has also been widely regarded as a show that has debunked various stereotypes and provided people with a safe and happy place.

As an open lesbian who came out of the closet shortly before she started her hit show, DeGeneres has been considered one of the most well-known and iconic members of the LGBT community, and it’s no exaggeration that many look up to her in one way or another.

She has also talked openly about her struggles in the industry as a lesbian, inspiring those in similar circumstances to remain optimistic as well.

For her work, DeGeneres was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

And if you’re wondering how the show matches up to other similar shows, here are the details.

With 61 Daytime Emmy Awards under its belt, The Ellen DeGeneres show even managed to surpass the number of awards won by The Oprah Winfrey Show, a talk show held by the famous Oprah Winfrey.

Highlights of the Last Episode

And if you’re wondering about how the celebrity lineup looked like on the show’s 3,277th (and last) episode, we’ve got you covered as well.

First and foremost, Jennifer Aniston, the first guest DeGeneres hosted on the show, returned for her 20th time as a guest on the show.

Next up, younger pop star Billie Eilish made an appearance as well, and commented on the impact that the show has had on her as a younger person.

“You started this show the year after I was born,” Eilish recalled.

“This was in my house constantly. Every day, I would walk into the kitchen and my mom would be watching you.”

Last but not least, iconic singer P!nk, who wrote the show’s theme song, came on stage as DeGeneres closed out her show for good.

In her final closing message, Ellen told the audience, “If I’ve done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I’ve inspired you to be yourself. Your true, authentic self.”

“And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don’t understand. They’re showing you who they are, and that is the biggest gift anybody can ever give you.”

Reason Behind Ending Talk Show

It’s no secret that DeGeneres is one of the most popular talk show hosts in the world, and she apparently rakes in around US$75 million per year just by hosting her show.

When she first announced the end of her show in May last year, many speculated various reasons as to why the show was being cancelled.

However, she claimed that she needed “something new to challenge [her]” when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter.

Controversy Surrounding DeGeneres

Despite the positive impact that she has had over the past two decades, several controversies regarding DeGeneres’ personal life have come up in recent years.

And it might seem like things aren’t as wonderful and optimistic as they might have seemed on television.

In 2020, Buzzfeed News revealed the “toxic work culture” that existed behind the cheery facade of DeGeneres’ talk show.

Amongst the various accusations, sexual harassment, bullying and racism were all topics that were brought up. As a result, three senior producers were fired.

DeGeneres, who was also called out for her rude behaviour towards staff members, has since apologised to her team.

However, she said that the show’s ending was not due to the negative workplace claims.

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Beyond the show, some of DeGeneres’ actions have also raised a few eyebrows.

For example, she defended comedian Kevin Hart after he gave up his spot as an Oscars host in 2018 due to several homophobic tweets.

Jeetendr Sehdev, entertainment scholar and author said that Degeneres was “full of contradictions”.

“That has been both partly the reason why she has also appealed to people, and has been capable of generating that mass appeal. And at the same time, (it) has also been the reason why her integrity and her credibility and authenticity have been questioned,” he added.