After a tumultuous past year, it’s official: The Ellen DeGeneres Show will end after wrapping up its 19th season in 2022.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen DeGeneres herself has decided to end her hit daytime talk show.
Recommended Videos
However, the decision comes several years in the making.
She told The Hollywood Reporter exclusively, “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.”
The upcoming 19th season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will be the last.
Ellen DeGeneres to End Talk Show: “It’s Just Not A Challenge Anymore” (Exclusive) https://t.co/d6XXpph67G
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 12, 2021
DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter she shared the news with her staff on Tuesday, May 11, and will sit down in an interview with Oprah Winfrey on her show on Thursday, May 13.
“Although all good things must come to an end, you still have the hope that truly great things never will,” says Warner Bros.’ unscripted TV president Mike Darnell.
However, this time, DeGeneres deems it will officially end.
In a 2018 New York Times profile, she revealed that her actress wife, Portia de Rossi, was encouraging her to move on from the 180-shows-a-year hosting gig, while her comedian brother, along with executives at Warner Bros., including Darnell, had urged her to continue.
Despite the pushback, in the end, this contract — which will take her well beyond 3,000 shows and 2,400 celebrity interviews — will be her last, explains The Hollywood Reporter.
The decision to end the show comes after numerous workplace allegations were made in 2020 that included sexual misconduct, racism, and intimidation on set.