Ellen DeGeneres has announced her hit talk show will be coming to an end after series 19 is aired, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the programme is no longer a “challenge” to her. DeGeneres has been considered an LGBTQ+ icon after publicly coming out as gay in a 1997 issue of TIME Magazine, but faced backlash last year after a Buzzfeed article detailed the experiences of former employees who accused Ellen of creating a toxic workplace.
DeGeneres insisted the allegations were not the cause of her quitting the show, saying that although they were “hurtful”, she would not have returned for season 18 had that been the reason. She also recalled her experiences with homophobia after coming out over two decades ago, saying that while she “was so publicly attacked during that time” it allowed her to ‘grow stronger’.
She admitted the allegations “destroyed” her as she wanted to spread “kindness and compassion”. Moving forward, DeGeneres said she is open to movie roles and intends to begin working on environmental conservation projects, adding: “I just want people to trust and know that I am who I appear to be.”