The Timing Of Ellen DeGeneres' Latest Career Loss Is Pretty Unfortunate
Ellen DeGeneres can't seem to catch a break. In case you missed it, her long-running talk show "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is nearing its final season after getting canceled. Per the host, the decision to end the program is due to creative stagnation and not brought about by the purported ratings plummet following the toxic workplace allegations made against her by former employees.
"When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I need something new to challenge me." DeGeneres said that she tried to dabble in other avenues to find creative fulfillment. She hosted the Oscars to try something new, and she also went back to stand-up after years of hiatus from the stage.
Given her penchant for games, as evident in the numerous gimmicky games she had hosted on "Ellen," DeGeneres also launched a brand-new show dedicated to fun obstacles, trivia questions, and other exciting challenges. "Game of Games" had concluded its fourth season in May 2021, but on January 18, 2022, NBC announced that it would no longer be renewed, meaning DeGeneres would have to say goodbye to yet another show (via Deadline).
Ellen DeGeneres' game show was canceled
The cancellation of "Game of Games" seems to be the final blow to Ellen DeGeneres' television reign. Deadline reports that the game show, which premiered in 2017, wrapped up its fourth and apparently final season in May of last year. This news comes off the heels of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" cancellation after 19 seasons, which was announced following reports that DeGeneres had fostered a toxic workplace at her daytime talk show. Former employees told Buzzfeed News that working at the show means working in an environment filled with "racism, fear, and intimidation."
"I learned that things happen here that never should have happened," DeGeneres said at the time, per The New York Times. "I take that very seriously. And I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."
With the loss of both shows, DeGeneres is essentially gone from TV, save for her involvement on a couple of projects where she serves as executive producer. When asked what's next for her, she admitted that she has no definite plans yet. "Look, I don't even know the answer. I've been trying to think about that," she shared with The Hollywood Reporter. "A sitcom seems like a walk in the park compared to this, 180 shows a year. I don't know if that's really what I want to do next, but movies, for sure."