Television November 03, 2021
Ellen DeGeneres on the ‘Emotional’ End to Her Daytime Show and Her Future Plans — Exclusive
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Only “Extra’s” Terri Seymour was on the set of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” with the host herself, who is in the final season of her trailblazing daytime series.
After more than 4,000 guests and 61 Emmy wins, Ellen DeGeneres opened up about saying goodbye, noting, “Nineteen years is a long time to do anything. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Though Ellen is known for her comedic chops, she pointed out that ending her show is not a practical joke. She said, “Yeah, that would be a cruel joke.” She then smiled and joked, “What I am going to say, which is gonna surprise people after 18 seasons, is… I’m straight.”
After her audience and Terri broke into laughter, Ellen quipped, “Yeah, that was the joke. Gotcha all good. [My wife] Portia [de Rossi] is gonna be so sad. She doesn’t know yet, but I’ll tell her.”
Ellen then emphasized, “No, this is it.”
In all seriousness, the host shared how she is going to feel on the last day, admitting, “I’m gonna be very emotional… I’m not emotional yet because it’s not real yet… The last day when I walk out of here, it’s gonna be really hard.”
DeGeneres said she’s definitely ready for some time away with de Rossi. She dished, “We are for sure gonna go… My [Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund] will be open then in Rwanda, so we are going to go to Africa and see my campus and take about a month and go on safari. That’s my favorite thing in the world to do... get to do things I haven’t gotten a chance to do.”
Terri had to ask her about the “Saturday Night Live” “Mellen” skit with Jason Sudeikis. She commented, “I thought it was hilarious… I think that NBC should do that show.”
While she’s closing the chapter on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the longtime host has other projects to keep her busy, including her new Kind Science skin care line. She said, “It’s called Kind Science because it’s kind to your skin, it’s kind to animals, it’s kind to the planet, and kind to your wallet.”
Of her future, Ellen noted, “I just feel like there is another chapter in something that I’m gonna be really passionate about… I think it is time for me to sit still and figure out what that next thing is.”
