Ellen DeGeneres was left ‘destroyed’ after claims that her long-running show was a ‘toxic workplace’.
The 63-year-old TV host has been the face of The Ellen DeGeneres Show for over 18 years since it first premiered back in 2003.
While it’s regarded as one of the most successful daytime shows in the world, in recent months, Ellen has faced endless backlash after she was hit with accusations of being ‘toxic’ while on set.
Earlier today, Ellen confirmed that her show will come to an end after its upcoming 19th season.
While several fans have since weighed in on whether the TV star called it quits following the controversy, Ellen has denied that that recent claim is the reason she’s thrown in the gloves.
Ellen announced the bombshell news in an explosive interview with The Hollywood Reporter and insisted that she had previously toyed with the idea of ending the show after its 16th season.
After some consideration though, she decided to stay with it, and in the end, she signed a three-year contract which brought her up to the 19th season.
“We settled on three more years and I knew that would be my last,” she admitted.
“That's been the plan all along. And everybody kept saying, even when I signed, 'You know, that's going to be 19, don't you want to just go to 20? It's a good number.' So is 19.”
Lifting the lid on the toxic workplace accusations, Ellen admitted that they did ‘almost’ impact the show, but she and her team managed to work through it and move past the controversy.
“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. With the talk show, all I cared about was spreading kindness and compassion and everything I stand for was being attacked. So, it destroyed me, honestly. I'd be lying if I said it didn't.”
Last summer, Ellen was left in turmoil after BuzzFeed News published a report in which current and former staff of the show spoke about their ‘toxic’ experiences on set.
A number of Ellen’s former staff claimed that they would be penalized for taking medical leave, while other recalled instances of racial microaggressions and fear of backlash for raising complaints.
Following the investigation, Ellen made it her business to check in more with her staff.
Do you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror here .
