Ellen DeGeneres commemorated her final day of shooting her US talk show with an emotional Instagram post.
The comedian and presenter announced in 2021 that the then-upcoming season of her show would be the last, saying at the time she felt she needed “something new to challenge me”.
Her announcement came after a year of controversy over an alleged toxic workplace environment, though she has maintained this was not the reason for ending her show.
On Thursday, Ellen posted a snap of herself on set on her Instagram page, writing: “Today we taped the final episode of The Ellen Show which airs on 26 May.
“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.
“But whatever was happening, my goal was always for the show to be a place where we could all come together and laugh for an hour.”
She continued: “Being invited into your lives has been the greatest privilege of my life and has brought me incredible joy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Ellen previously said of her decision to end The Ellen Show: “It’s going to be really hard on the last day, but I also know it’s time. I’m a creative person, and when you’re a creative person you constantly need to be challenged, which is why I decided to host the Oscars or why I decided to go back to stand-up when I didn’t think I would.
“I just needed something to challenge me. And as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore. I need something new to challenge me.”
The news came in the wake of July 2020 reports of a “toxic” work culture on the show.
BuzzFeed News spoke with 36 anonymous ex-staffers, all of whom shared stories of the improper treatment they experienced or witnessed on set. Three producers left the show amid the allegations of “sexual misconduct and racially insensitive remarks”.
Ellen apologised to staff after an internal review by Warner Bros found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen insisted these allegations didn’t impact the show or the decision to end it, but that they “almost” did.
“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very,” she said. “But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season.”