Ellen DeGeneres addresses ‘toxic work environment’ allegations
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Ellen DeGeneres revealed in her first televised interview since the cancellation that she didn’t “understand” the widespread call to end the show. Viewers were unsurprised when it was announced that the long-running daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was cancelled after 17 years on-screen. The damning allegations of a “toxic workplace” by former employees alleged harassment, racial microaggressions, as well as appalling comments by executive producers. However, the talk show host detailed how she struggled to comprehend the calls for her cancellation while speaking on Today on NBC.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show first debuted in September 2003, to critical acclaim.
Though, in July 2020, BuzzFeed News ran a series of articles in which various former employees accused the chat show of a “toxic work environment”.
Ellen later apologised for the actions of her staff, yet many loyal fans and social media were not kind to her response to the situation.
The show’s 18th season premiered in September 2020 and will conclude in May 2021.
Ellen sat down with NBC News’ The Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie for her first interview since the announcement that the show’s upcoming 19th season will be its last.
She explained that the allegations are not the reason she made the decision to end her show, rather that it was time to end the long-running series.
The interview took place this morning, with Ellen explaining her reasons for ending the show, as well as her reaction to cancel calls following the allegations.
She said of the calls to end the show immediately: “I mean, I really didn’t understand it. I still don’t understand it. It was too orchestrated. It was too coordinated.”
“And, you know, people get picked on but for four months straight.
“For me, and then for me to read in the press about a toxic work environment, when all I’ve ever heard from every guest that comes on the show is what a happy atmosphere this is and what a happy place is,” she continued.
Ellen added that working on the daytime series has been the “best experience of my life”.
Before further explaining that if she were quitting the show, rather than ending the series altogether, she would not have returned to film the current 18th season.
Elen also said that she was pleased with her time on the light-hearted show, adding: “I’m proud of the kind of show we do.”
She continued by saying that she was proud of the chat show for highlighting good people, as well as it being a funny show where guests could relax.
Savannah then asked how she felt today, with Ellen saying that she felt “emotional” about recent events and the cancellation of her show.
After an investigation was ordered by WarnerMedia, Ellen divulged that she was “disappointed” to learn that the show’s work environment was not a place where everyone was treated with respect during an opening monologue in an episode last year.
Audience ratings for the current season have fallen dramatically in the last few months.
Three executive producers were fired in 2020 after Ellen promised her audience “a new chapter”.
Recently, Ellen thanked her virtual audience for watching all these years.
She then added that she needed to “take a break from talking” after nearly two decades on air.
The TV exclusive interview aired on NBC News’ TODAY this morning, and read more on TODAY.com.
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