Ellen DeGeneres has dominated show business for years, so it's understandable that people
want to know what she's up to. Here's what the award-winning talk show host has been
doing since announcing her show was ending.
"I didn't think I'd be emotional because I really am prepared for this, I've really given
it a lot of thought, but… emotional."
Ellen DeGeneres has been known for her bold humor and her show's top notch celebrity guests.
Given that she's a huge star, it doesn't come as a big surprise that Hollywood A-listers
have all wanted to sit across from her. But since it was announced that "The Ellen DeGeneres
Show" is coming to an end, DeGeneres and her team have been busy planning a celeb-packed
final season. According to Page Six, DeGeneres has been "gearing up" for her departure from
the show, and as such, is working with some of her closest famous friends to make the
final season the very best it can be.
The publication reported that some of Hollywood's most prominent representatives have been contacted
by DeGeneres' producers, so fans can expect to see celebrities like Kevin Hart, Jennifer
Aniston, and Justin Bieber on the screen with the talk show host in her final season. A
source told Page Six,
"Ellen's staff has already been out to high-profile reps to get their talent on board for one
big final week. The plan is to tape a job lot together, so Ellen leaves with a bang."
While DeGeneres' talk show might be coming to a close, that doesn't mean she doesn't
have other programs out there. One of those ventures includes her new furniture design
competition show that's streaming on HBO Max. According to Architectural Digest, DeGeneres'
show, "Ellen's Next Great Designer," is full of fantastic home design projects and is a
must watch. She told the publication,
"Where is design heading? What are the exciting things that the most talented and creative
people are thinking about that don't exist yet? No other show is asking and answering
these questions, so I've created one that does."
So while one of DeGeneres' television ventures is coming to a close, it seems like she's
poured her focus into one of her passions.
DeGeneres is also responsible for an entire line of home products, ED by Ellen. The online
store features clothing, rugs and decor, bedding, bathroom products, dining features, lightning,
and more. It's pretty safe to say that while we might not see DeGeneres on-screen in her
talk show capacity anymore, she's still got a lot of irons in the fire.
When you know you're going to be out of a job, it makes sense to try to hold onto every
penny you have. But that doesn't really seem to be a concern for DeGeneres, because in
the aftermath of her announcement that her show was coming to an end, she made a pretty
hefty real estate purchase. According to Architectural Digest, DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de
Rossi , purchased their third Montecito, California home — a $2.9 million bungalow style property.
DeGeneres' real estate portfolio is already pretty impressive, and the new addition added
yet another stunning abode to the celebrity's assets. The house is 1,691 square feet and
features two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The purchase came about a year after DeGeneres
dropped $49 million on a four acre property in the same area. It seems like Montecito
has really captured DeGeneres' heart, and from the looks of it, her real estate investments
will only continue to grow.
You might as well go out with a bang, and that certainly seems to be the case for Ellen.
After announcing that her talk show is coming to an end, DeGeneres has been particularly
bold on-camera, and has even made some eye-widening remarks about her departure. DeGeneres had
comedian Yvonne Orji on her show, and had an attitude that suggested she's ready to
enjoy her freedom.
Orji shared that she would one day love to be a talk show host herself, and DeGeneres
quipped,
"There's gonna be an opening. I got one more year. I'm not going away right now. [...] I
think that's good to put it out there, because manifestation is how you do it."
DeGeneres then told Orji that she should guest host the show to "see how it feels." One thing's
for sure — DeGeneres seems ready to march to the beat of her own drum.
"What would your motto be now if you could go back?"
"Go f--- yourselves."
"I knew it would be something good."
DeGeneres typically doesn't appear on her talk show by herself — she's joined by a
DJ. That role has been occupied by Stephen "tWitch" Boss for a while now, and the two
share a fantastic on-screen dynamic. Since announcing that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
is coming to an end, DeGeneres has received support from a number of people, but few match
the bolstering that she's received from Boss.
In a sit down with E! News, Boss admitted that he thought DeGeneres would renew her
contract, but after the allegations of workplace assault tanked her ratings, concluding the
show became inevitable. Still, Boss has stood firmly beside DeGeneres in the wake of her
shocking announcement, and he told the publication that he's "really proud of her." He went on
to say,
"I know that she's been at it for 18-plus years now. And it's not easy. I'm proud of
her that she's kind of put an earmark on the closing of a saga to begin her next chapter."
DeGeneres' daytime talk show will be on the air for one more season, but the television
world has already signaled that it's moving on from her — talk about a devastating change.
According to the BBC, DeGeneres' time slot has already been replaced by Kelly Clarkson's
daytime talk show, which is in its second season. Starting in the fall of 2022, viewers
will see Clarkson grace their screens during the time slot that has belonged to DeGeneres
for years.
The executive vice president of NBC Universal Syndication Studios said about the shift,
"Kelly and our entire production team put their heart, intent and incredible passion
into making a show that resonates with people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. We're
[...] looking forward to becoming the premier show in daytime for years to come."
So not only has DeGeneres dealt with the allegation fallouts, the ending of her show, and all
the personal shifts that have come with the decision, she's also watched the entertainment
world move on.
According to Fox Business, DeGeneres made yet another real estate decision after announcing
that her show was coming to an end, and this time, the huge expense seems a little odd.
Back in 2017, DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi purchased a sprawling ranch in Montecito,
California for $7.2 million. It was a fixer upper, and the two had the property flipped
before selling it in 2018 for $11 million.
But as the publication reported, DeGeneres repurchased the home for $14.3 million shortly
after revealing the news that she'd be leaving daytime television. It's unclear why they
sold the house only to purchase it again. But it's obvious that this couple has money
to spend. DeGeneres and de Rossi will of course inherit some A-list neighbors as well with
this purchase, including Oprah Winfrey, who just so happens to live next door, and Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle.
Since announcing that her show would be coming to an end after Season 19, DeGeneres spent
some time clearing up some confusion surrounding the timing of the bombshell news. In her first
interview given after the announcement was made, DeGeneres sat down with The Hollywood
Reporter and explained that while the workplace allegations made things really difficult,
she had actually planned on ending the show three seasons earlier.
DeGeneres revealed that she was going to end the show after Season 16, but production wanted
her to agree to four more years — she countered and said that she'd sign on for one more year,
but was told that affiliate stations needed programming that was more consistent. The
two parties compromised, and agreed to a three year agreement, taking Degeneres to Season
19. She explained,
"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. It's going to be really hard on
the last day, but I also know it's time."
Animals have a distinct way of making people feel better, and it looks like DeGeneres leaned
on her furry friends for support in the aftermath of her announcement. She and her wife adopted
a new kitten in late May 2020, and her name is an ode to one of their former pets. In
2017, DeGeneres sat down for an interview with Good Housekeeping and dished about her
furry friends, saying,
"They offer unconditional love in ways humans can't."
She talked about her animals at the time: her three dogs, Wolf, Augie, and Kid, and
her three cats, Charlie, George, and Chairman. She added,
"Do I have a favorite? I couldn't possibly answer that! It's Charlie."
Sadly, DeGeneres' favorite kitty, Charlie, died in January 2020, much to her heartache.
She took to Twitter with the news, and received an outpouring of support from fans. It looks
like in her time of change, DeGeneres has found her new Charlie; her newly adopted kitten
is named Charlie, too, as the little cat reminded the couple of their beloved late pet.
In the time since informing her viewers — and the world — that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"
would be leaving the air, DeGeneres has been keeping herself busy. She's enjoying her property
and life on the down low — but luckily for us, she's taken social media followers behind
the scenes.
In a video posted on Instagram, DeGeneres walked her followers through her home's luscious
vegetable garden, pointing out the different fruits and vegetables along the way. The garden
looks stunning — and for anyone out of a job, escaping to a magical garden full of
gorgeous food doesn't sound so bad.
DeGeneres also gave her followers a look inside her kitchen, as she shared a video of herself
cooking dinner for Portia. Despite the changing circumstances around her show, DeGeneres looks
to be thriving at home.
Typically when you find out that your career is shifting gears, you automatically go into
"search" mode. But DeGeneres has been using her time since announcing that her show is
ending to just, in her words, "sit still." In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter,
DeGeneres shared that while she has some ideas for what she wants to do next, she's been
encouraged by her agent to relax. She admitted,
"I don't know how long I'll be able to do that. So, that's my first challenge, and then
I'm going to figure it out."
When asked if she would return to starring in a sitcom, DeGeneres said that she's not
sure if that's "really what [she] wants to do next," although she did reveal that she's
interested in film roles, if the right project were to come along.
In the meantime, DeGeneres shared that she wants to spend some time after her talk show
ends by focusing on the environmental conservation initiatives she's launched. She added,
"I want to be more involved with [...] everything that matters to me as far as the environment
and animals."
DeGeneres addressed the workplace allegations that captured the attention of people everywhere
at the beginning of Season 18, but she sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss
the issue even further after announcing that her show would be coming to a close. She said
the allegations were "very hurtful," but they weren't responsible for her deciding to end
the show. She explained,
"If I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn't have come back. So, it's not why
I'm stopping, but it was hard."
"Honestly I really did think about not coming back because it did, you know, I mean it was
devastating."
DeGeneres also shared that some of the stories she read about her presumed behavior in the
workplace were, quote, "ridiculous" and that the unsubstantiated claims against her "just
didn't stop." After an internal investigation was conducted, a number of producers were
fired, but DeGeneres' reputation had taken a hit. She went on to say,
"It broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience."
Taking the time to share her truth after her big announcement was clearly an important
use of DeGeneres' time, and we're curious to see what project she turns her attention
to next.
"I don't intend on retiring, I want to do other things, but if I never do another thing
in my life, this has been the thing I'm most proud of."
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