After 19 years, Ellen DeGeneres is to end her US talk show in 2022. It coincides with the end of her contract. The announcement comes just months after the show was accused of being a toxic workplace, following which there was a sharp decline in ratings of the show, which is currently in its 18th season.
Drastic fall in ratings
Soon after the accusations, three of the show's producers exited and DeGeneres was seen opening the current season with a lengthy on-air apology. The host addressed the viewers and said: "I learned that things happen here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."
According to Nielsen data, the viewership of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, which had started in 2003, dropped by 1.1 million people this season, from 2.6 million viewers to 1.5 million viewers. In addition, the show also faced a decline in advertising revenue between September and February. Kantar, a research firm, has stated that the show managed to bring in $127.6 million from ad revenue that was a straight 22 percent decline from $163.6 million in the same six months in the previous season.
"No challenge anymore"
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres said: "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." When asked if her decision was based on last year's workplace allegations, the 63-year-old told the publication: "If I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn't have come back this season." However, she admitted that the accusations "destroyed" her to see "everything I stand for... attacked".
"It broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience - that people were hurt in any way," she added.
In 2015, Ellen DeGeneres received the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, while in 2016, she was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom under Barack Obama.
