May 12, 2021 - Economy

Ellen DeGeneres to end talk show after 19th season

Orion Rummler

Ellen DeGeneres stands on stage and holds a microphone — Ellen DeGeneres at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in Jan. 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Ellen DeGeneres will end her long-running daytime talk show after its upcoming 19th season, she confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter.

Why it matters: The show's end comes after DeGeneres lost more than a million viewers in the wake of employees alleging a toxic work environment and a culture of fear perpetrated by producers and senior managers, as reported by BuzzFeed News.

After DeGeneres made an on-air apology while opening the show's 18th season, ratings plummeted, per the New York Times.

What she's saying: “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,” DeGeneres told the Hollywood Reporter.

Her decision to end the show "is said to have been several years in the making," per the Reporter, after she shared family discussions in a 2018 NYT profile on whether to move on from the job.

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Ellen DeGeneres to end talk show after 19th season

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