One of the more recognizable names in daytime television is signing off in 2022 as The Ellen DeGeneres Show comes to an end next year.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision to end the show has been in talks over the years. DeGeneres will discuss the reasoning behind the choice with Oprah Winfrey on Ellen’s May 13 show.
“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,” DeGeneres said to The Hollywood Reporter.
A New York Times profile in 2018 revealed that DeGeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi, discussed with her to seek a new challenge and move on from her 180-shows-a-year job. Meanwhile, DeGeneres’ brother and executives at Warner Bros. urged her to continue.
Eventually, DeGeneres agreed to three more seasons but was clear with herself and her team that this contract would be the last for her.
Nonetheless, the show is ending on a controversial note as DeGeneres’ departure from daytime television comes on the heels of BuzzFeed News exposé in July. Accusations of a toxic work environment surfaced, resulting in an internal investigation and the dismissal of key executives. Since then, Ellen’s ratings took a hit and have yet to recover.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
