Ellen DeGeneres has admitted that she wants to ‘lay low’ for a little while as she marked the final episode of her US talk show.
The 64-year-old television host was joined by a number of A-listers on Thursday as The Ellen DeGeneres show drew to a close after 19 seasons.
Alongside several revelations about her time on the show, DeGeneres also had a chance to talk about her future plans with guest, Jennifer Aniston.
The Friends star was in fact DeGeneres’ first guest on the show in 2003 and had come full circle to show her support as the final episode came to an end.
When quizzed by the actress about what she wanted to do with her free time, DeGeneres suggested that she would be taking some time away from the TV cameras.
“I know that I wanna just lay low for a little while, I wanna rest,” DeGeneres suggested.
She added: “And then I’ll do something again, but I don’t know what that is. Any ideas?”
Aniston suggested that the talk show host should consider more stand up comedy, or even returning to the entertainment world as an actor. However, DeGeneres didn’t seem so sure about that.
DeGeneres has been gearing up for her final appearance for quite some time, after she confirmed in May 2021 that the talk show would be coming to an end.
The comedian had previously come under fire after Buzzfeed News published allegations from former employees in 2020 that accused The Ellen Show of having a toxic work environment. Although she apologised for the accusations, the show reportedly suffered a dip in ratings and also struggled to land guests.
When she announced that the show was coming to an end, DeGeneres explained that she’d signed a three-year deal in 2019 and knew season 19 was going to be her last.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the show coming to an end, DeGeneres also admitted that a lot of “unfortunate” events had happened throughout the last few years.
“It’s for sure the right time,” she said about the show ending. “The world is in a crazy place. Like you said, it’s very charged. And you know, I was going to stop three years ago and they talked me into staying a little longer and I did and it’s fine. There was a lot that happened during that time that was unfortunate but it is what it is — you go through stuff in life and you just keep learning and growing.”
As Thursday’s show wrapped up, DeGeneres also had an emotional message to share with her audience and viewers as she paid tribute to her crew and supporters.
“I hope I’ve been able to inspire you to make other people happy and to do good in the world, to feel like you have a purpose. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: If I’ve done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I’ve inspired you to be yourself — your true, authentic self.
She added: “And if someone is brave enough to tell you who they are, be brave enough to support them, even if you don’t understand. They’re showing you who they are, and that is the biggest gift anybody can ever give you. And by opening your heart and your mind, you’re going to be that much more compassionate — and compassion is what makes the world a better place.”
