Ellen DeGeneres' Soured Reputation Flushes Her Plans Of A TV Return Down The Toilet

Ellen DeGeneres was once one of the most beloved figures on television, in movies, and on the stand-up circuit. After her titular role on "Ellen" from 1994 to 1998 and her delivery of the lovably forgetful Dory in 2003's hit "Finding Nemo," the stand-up comedian hosted the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," which ran from 2003 to 2022. The wildly popular daytime talk show, rivaled only by Oprah Winfrey's, made DeGeneres a household name and solidified her as one of Hollywood's power players...until the ugly truth came out about the show. And though it's been some time since "The Ellen Show" went off the air, the show's namesake is still struggling to bounce back in Hollywood.

The scandal that rocked the seemingly joyous show highlighted allegations of bullying and racism, with a number of guests reporting they felt uncomfortable on the show. DeGeneres quickly fell from her podium and stepped away from the limelight for some time before doing a short stand-up tour, during which she revealed her honest feelings about the show's demise. "I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating," she shared in an audience Q&A in 2024 (via People). "It took a long time for me to want to do anything again." Though DeGeneres tried to come back with her tour, it appears that any real industry comeback may not happen as planned.

Near the end of 2024, Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi confirmed they had moved to the Cotswolds region of England. Though they claimed that they wanted to flee a Donald Trump-led America, we can't help but wonder whether DeGeneres was tired of the incessant backlash in Hollywood.

The latest person to call out the host's bad behavior is former "Bachelorette" and "Bachelor" star, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, who told podcaster Kaitlyn Bristowe on "Off the Vine" in December 2024 that DeGeneres made her feel stupid when she was a guest on the show in May 2010. She's the latest name added to the list of celebrities who can't stand Ellen. But is the public also tired of her as well? 

It was reported that five of DeGeneres' stand-up comedy shows from her 2024 tour "Ellen's Last Stand...Up" were canceled, with no reason given. Was there a lack of interest? The rest of her shows were sold out, so it's unclear. The stand-up show was made into a September 2024 Netflix special, which received negative reviews. The Atlantic wrote that DeGeneres tried to redeem herself and her bad behavior, but the attempt fell flat. It's one more example that shows her popularity hasn't recovered and likely never will, certainly not to the point of making a return to TV viable. Until the country decides to "Make Ellen Great Again," we suspect she'll stay on the other side of the Atlantic.