Ellen DeGeneres Emotionally Reveals That She Taped Her Final Show

While most fans know Ellen DeGeneres for her self-titled talk show, DeGeneres appeared on our TV screens long before it. She starred in another self-titled show, sitcom "Ellen" from 1994 to 1998, per IMDb, where she played the role of Ellen Morgan. It wasn't until 2003 that she landed her own talk show gig, and from the get-go, it appeared like she had something special. That year was also when Disney released "Finding Nemo," in which DeGeneres voiced the iconic fish, Dory.

While most of the show was fun and games, it made headlines in 2020 after some workers accused the show of being a toxic place to work. The show later faced an investigation, forcing show execs to respond. "We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience," the "Ellen" higher-ups said in a statement, per Variety. "It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us." A year later, in May 2021, DeGeneres announced that the next season of her show would be the last. "This show has been the greatest experience of my life, and I owe it all to you," she said in her tear-filled opening monologue. DeGeneres knew "Ellen" Season 19 would be the final one, she said. "My instincts told me it's time."

It's hard to believe that the time has come, as DeGeneres has filmed her last "Ellen" show.

It's the end of an era! It's hard to imagine a time when Ellen DeGeneres wasn't gracing our screens on her hit talk show, but here we are. The talk show host announced on social media that she finished taping her final show, which airs on May 26. In an emotional Instagram post, DeGeneres reflected on the how the world has changes since "Ellen" Season 1. "When we started this show in 2003, the iPhone didn't exist. Social Media didn't exist. Gay marriage wasn't legal. We watched the world change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not," she wrote.

At the end of the day, DeGeneres says she just wanted a place "where we could all come together and laugh for an hour." Despite the recent controversy casting a cloud over the program, she shared that the gig was the "greatest privilege" of her life and it gave her "incredible joy" to be able to do it. How sweet is that? Many of DeGeneres' famous pals flocked to the post's comments section to send their love, including Derek Hough. "Much love to you Ellen," he wrote.

After DeGeneres announced that Season 19 would be the last, she explained to the Hollywood Reporter why she felt it was time, stating that it was "just not a challenge anymore." She said she hopes to take some time off once the series ends. We wish DeGeneres the best in her next gig, whatever it may be!