Ellen DeGeneres has been hosting a daytime talk show since 2003. That’s almost 2 decades of talk shows. At 180 episodes a year, she has filmed over 3000 shows.

DeGeneres has interviewed thousands of celebrities and has introduced us to amazing people, such as kids with incredible talent. Her show has also been a vehicle for giving away millions of dollars both in charitable donations and audience giveaways. She has also been awarded with 64 Daytime Emmys for her very successful show.

Within the past year, allegations against DeGeneres and the toxic environment behind the scenes at the show have tarnished her image. Ratings have slumped, and DeGeneres has made a decision. The next season of her show will be the last.

On May 11, 2021, DeGeneres broke the news to her staff that the show would be coming to an end. On May 13, talk show legend Oprah Winfrey will be a special guest on DeGeneres’s show specifically to discuss why she has decided to end her show for good.

DeGeneres explained to The Hollywood Reporter that she wanted season 16 to be her last season, but she ended up signing a contract in 2018 for three more seasons. The final season, season 19, will end in 2022. She said, “Look, 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.”

What kind of challenge is DeGeneres looking for? She told THR that the allegations against the show did hurt her personally and did hurt the show, but that’s not why she is ending the show. As she said, it has been the plan to end the show after 19 seasons since 2018.

DeGeneres seems interested in returning to acting. She seems to think that a sitcom would be too easy, but she would consider a role in a movie. In the meantime, she explained, “I’m opening up my campus in Rwanda next year and I want to be more involved with conservation and everything that matters to me as far as the environment and animals.”

Are you surprised that Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show? Do you think she’ll return to acting?