After nearly two decades on daytime TV, Ellen DeGeneres is calling it quits. The talk show host plans to end The Ellen DeGeneres Show with season 19 in 2022, according to multiple published reports on Wednesday morning.
DeGeneres confirmed the show is ending to The Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” she told THR.
The decision comes after several current and former employees went public last year and accused DeGeneres of fostering a toxic work environment and being a diva. In response, the show made changes among its top producers and last fall DeGeneres acknowledged the scandal during the show’s season 18 premiere.
“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 that were affected,” she said. “I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres.”
As previously reported, she also sent an open letter to the staff, saying she was taking responsibility for not being able to “stay on top of everything.”
“Hey everybody — it’s Ellen,” the letter began. “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
Since the scandal erupted, the show’s ratings have plummeted, according to the Daily Mail. The series averaged 1.5 million viewers over the current season, down 1.1 million from the same time a year ago, when the series was pulling in an average 2.6 million viewers.
The final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show is expected to air in spring 2022.
