Ellen DeGeneres isn’t shutting the door completely on returning to television.
During a live talk with English broadcaster Richard Bacon on Sunday, July 20, the 67-year-old comedian opened up about what she misses about her iconic daytime show and what the future might hold.
Reflecting on her long-running talk show, which aired from 2003 to 2022, Ellen admitted she still feels the pull.
“I mean, I wish it did, because I would do the same thing here. I would love to do that again,” she shared.
But she also acknowledged that the media landscape has changed dramatically.
“I just feel like people are watching on their phones, or people aren’t really paying attention as much to televisions, because we’re so inundated with information and entertainment.”
Although she hasn’t made any concrete plans for her next career step, she made it clear that she’s thinking carefully about what comes next.
“I just don’t know what that is yet,” she said. “I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens but I’m a little bit bored.”
The end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show came after serious controversy, as allegations of a toxic work environment made headlines.
Following an internal investigation, Ellen addressed the claims directly when the show resumed in 2020.
“The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things. … I am a work in progress, and I am especially working on the impatience thing and it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough. I will tell you that,” she said at the time.
As she continued to process the criticism, Ellen noted the emotional toll the situation took on her.
“No matter what, any article that came up, it was like, ‘She’s mean,’ and it’s like, how do I deal with this without sounding like a victim or ‘poor me’ or complaining? But I wanted to address it,” she explained.
“It’s as simple as, I’m a direct person, and I’m very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that… I’m mean?”
Looking back, she described the show’s conclusion as “certainly an unpleasant way to end,” but her recent comments suggest she’s open to starting something new, whatever that might be.
