Ellen DeGeneres Calls It Quits After 19 Seasons

LAS VEGAS — (05-12-21) — Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she will be ending her talk show after 19 seasons on ABC, citing a “need to be challenged.”

DeGeneres has seen a steep decline in ratings this year, losing more than a million viewers following accusations of a toxic workplace at her production company.

Despite the timing of the cancellation, DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter that it has “been the plan all along” to call it quits after 19 years.

“I was going to stop after season 16,” said DeGeneres. “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.” said DeGeneres.

While Ellen DeGeneres made it official with her interview on The Hollywood Reporter, rumors had already begun to circle that ABC would not be renewing the show for a 20th Season.

“The ratings have tanked and have been truly appalling this year and Ellen knows her time is up,” said an insider who wanted to remain anonymous. “The show has bled viewers since the toxic environment around Ellen and her show was made public.”

However Ellen has not stated that she’s calling it quits over the allegations that ultimately led to an internal investigation that found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management.”

“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,” said Degeneres of her decision.

Lacey Rose of THR asked DeGeneres during the interview about the allegations, questioning if they impacted her and her show.

“It almost impacted the show,” said DeGeneres..“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season. So, it’s not why I’m stopping but it was hard because I was sitting at home, it was summer, and I see a story that people have to chew gum before they talk to me and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is hilarious.’” said DeGeneres.

DeGeneres further stated that she didn’t hear about the story until the press broke the news. “When it started, with that stupid ‘someone couldn’t look me in the eye’ or whatever the first thing was, it’s like a crest of a wave. Like, ‘This isn’t going to be that big of a wave,’” said DeGeneres. “And then it just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it was out of control. And I really, honestly, felt like, ‘I don’t deserve this. I don’t need this. I know who I am. I’m a good person.

DeGeneres added that she understood why people believed the allegations considering they’re “not stopping. I started saying ‘be kind to one another’ because I really believe people should be kind to one another and so it was easy clickbait to say, ‘Oh, the be kind lady isn’t so kind.’ … I am kind, I’m also a woman and I’m a boss.” said DeGeneres.

Article by: Michael “The Sizzler”, Staff Writer

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