In her first on-air appearances since announcing the end of her daytime talk show, Ellen DeGeneres has called reports of behind-the-scenes bullying 'orchestrated' and 'misogynistic'. The 63-year-old host revealed to the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that the show's upcoming 19th season, ending in 2022, would be its last, saying the programme was 'just not a challenge any more'.
The decision came after months of negative press following a July 2020 BuzzFeed report detailing allegations of racial insensitivity, sexual harassment and bullying, based on interviews with 36 former staffers. Speaking to the Today show's Savannah Guthrie, DeGeneres denied that the allegations factored into her decision to end the show. 'If it was why I was quitting, I would have not come back this year,' she said, adding that the report was 'devastating' and that she had learned about it from the press.
DeGeneres said she 'really didn't understand' the backlash, which she described as too 'orchestrated' and 'coordinated'. She also attributed part of the criticism to misogyny, stating, 'It did feel very misogynistic.' Three executive producers were fired following the BuzzFeed report and a subsequent investigation by Warner Bros, which found 'some flaws in the show's daily management'.
During the 18th season premiere in September 2020, DeGeneres apologised on air, saying she took responsibility for what happened at her show. She told Guthrie she wished someone had come to her directly with concerns. Despite the controversy, DeGeneres maintained that the atmosphere on set was positive, and she plans to focus on stand-up comedy and original content for her video website, ellentube.
