Ellen DeGeneres Ending Her Popular Talk Show After 19 Years

By
Zhi Hao
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“All good things must come to an end.” 

A phrase first made popular by the ancient Himalayans, the saying has since graced a plethora of well-meaning videos and films.

And yet, none of those applications hit closer to reality than the following dose;

A notion that you would surely empathise with if you’ve ever seen the show.

Ellen DeGeneres Ending Her Popular Talk Show After 19 Years

According to The Straits Times, the legendary Ellen Degeneres Show will soon be coming to an end.

Having entertained us for nearly two decades, the affluent daytime talk show, which has won numerous Emmy awards, will be ending its run next year.

The revelation comes off the back of two primary contributing factors: a sizeable decrease in ratings over the last few months and Ellen’s long-present contemplations on whether to leave the show.

Decrease In Ratings

Following accusations of workplace misconduct, the show had faced an uncharacteristic decline in ratings.

Back in July, several former and current staff professed that they faced “racism, fear and intimidation” at work, with some suffering from alleged sexual harassment.

There have been numerous complaints of a toxic workplace environment behind the scenes of the show, reported NPR.

According to BuzzFeed News, 11 unnamed current and former employees made serious allegations of workplace mistreatment.

A subsequent investigation was carried out by Warner Bros., and three high-level producers were forcibly dismissed.

These complaints include:

  • firings after taking medical or bereavement leave
  • racist comments against a black employee
  • staff members being told not to speak directly to DeGeneres

One staff member who took medical leave to check into a mental health facility for a suicide attempt was told the position was eliminated when he/she returned.

“You’d think that if someone just tried to kill themselves, you don’t want to add any more stress to their lives,” the employee told BuzzFeed News.

And apparently, DeGeneres may have a different side to her as well.

According to one of her former bodyguards, he had seen another side to the comedian at the 2014 Oscars, calling her treatment of others “demeaning.”

Some may question if Ellen is to blame, considering it was the senior staff who allegedly mistreated the employees, but one former worker said Ellen has to take responsibility because it’s her show.

DeGeneres herself had apologised to the affected staff members.

“I learned that things happen here that never should have happened,” she said. “I take that very seriously. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected.”

The controversy evidently took a toll on viewership ratings, with the show losing more than 1 million viewers in the 2020-2021 television season.

Contemplations

Additionally, DeGeneres had publicly mulled over whether to leave the show in recent years.

“I just needed something to challenge me,” DeGeneres said in the interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

And she has certainly taken steps. Apart from a partnership with Netflix, she has also signed a deal with WarnerMedia to create new content for streaming platform HBO Max.

So at the very least, this will not be the last you see of her.

Featured Image: Youtube (TheEllenShow)

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]