Get All Access for $5/mo

Ellen DeGeneres to Leave Talk Show After 19 Seasons: 'I'm So Proud of What This Show Stood For' The talk show host revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that her show's upcoming season will be its last.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Randy Holmes | Getty Images

It looks like the end of the road for the Ellen Degeneres Show.

DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter that the show's upcoming 19th season will be its last.

"19 years is a long time to do anything," she said.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the "Ellen" show staff was informed on Tuesday, May 11 of the show's cancellation.

DeGeneres maintains that the show is ending because "as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," though the fall out of her show's ratings and reputation following a major scandal last year made the eventual cancellation almost seem inevitable.

A bombshell report by Buzzfeed this past July with 10 former "Ellen" show employees claimed DeGeneres fostered a "toxic" workplace, with accusations of racism, harassment and bullying being fired at the talk show host.

Still, DeGeneres claims that the investigation has nothing to do with the cancellation of her show.

"It destroyed me, honestly. I'd be lying if I said it didn't," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "It almost impacted the show. It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn't have come back this season."

The talk show, which has been on air since 2003, saw a harrowing loss of over one million viewers last season following DeGeneres' public apology regarding the accusations against her.

"If I never do anything else ever again, I'm so proud of what this show stood for and still stands for and what we've made it through," she said.

DeGeneres will sit down for a formal interview with Oprah Winfrey on "Ellen" on Thursday, May 13.

The TODAY show's Savannah Guthrie also confirmed that DeGeneres will join her for a separate exclusive interview set to air on the 13th.

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Is the New-Era Example Business Leaders Can Learn From

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'I'm Not Trying to Land on Mars': Mark Cuban Takes Dig at Elon Musk to Explain Why His Online Pharmacy Isn't Trying to Make More Money

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is an online pharmacy co-founded by Cuban and radiologist Alex Oshmyansky.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business News

'It's Not About You': How to Fire Someone Effectively, According to Kevin O'Leary

O'Leary says that if you can't fire someone, you aren't the right leader for the organization.

Business News

Meta Makes $1 Million Dollar Donation to Donald Trump's Inaugural Fund

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly gave Trump a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.