The Hollywood Reporter reports that Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which is currently in its 18th season, will end in 2022 after the conclusion of its 19th season.
The decision to end the talk show took a long time, and it would likely have ended much sooner if the talk show host hadn’t been persuaded to continue by various people in her life.
“When you’re a creative person, you need to be challenged all the time – and as great and fun as this show is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told THR.
“I planned to stop after season 16,” she explained. However, executives wanted her to commit to four more seasons. She said she had one more to give.
“Affiliates and stations need more commitment,” she was told.
“So we agreed on three more years, and I knew it would be my last. That has always been the plan. ‘You know, that’s going to be 19, don’t you want to just go to 20?’ everyone kept saying, even after I signed. It’s a good figure.’ So is 19.”
Nonetheless, despite her years of generosity, DeGeneres and her show came under fire in the years that followed.
Due to claims of a hazardous workplace, the show lost 1 million viewers when it returned for its 18th season in September 2020.
However, DeGeneres insisted that the allegations had nothing to do with her decision to cancel her talk show.
“It almost affected the show. It was extremely upsetting to me. I mean, extremely. But if I were leaving the show because of that, I would not have returned this season.”
As for what DeGeneres has in mind for the next chapter of her life, she’s not sure.
“Look, I’m not even sure what the answer is. That’s something I’ve been thinking about. I have some ideas, but my agent is like, ‘Why don’t you just sit still for a minute? You probably don’t even know how exhausted you are and what it’s going to be like to sit still.’”
While she’d be open to doing a sitcom, she’s more interested in movies. However, DeGeneres is also thinking about life outside of Hollywood.
“I’m opening up my campus in Rwanda next year, and I want to be more involved with conservation and everything that matters to me regarding the environment and animals.”
DeGeneres will sit down with Oprah Winfrey on May 13 to discuss her decision to end her longtime talk show.
Are you sad to see The Ellen DeGeneres Show end? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook.
