Ellen DeGeneres: ‘I miss being on TV’

Ellen DeGeneres has revealed she “really misses” being on TV.
The 68-year-old comedian hosted 19 seasons of The Ellen DeGeneres Show until she bowed out in the wake of her major workplace controversy in 2022.

During an appearance on tonight’s episode of The Graham Norton Show, DeGeneres admitted her work schedule is pretty quiet at the moment.

“I’ve nothing really going on and I really miss being on tv. I miss a lot about it – laughing with the writers and the audience. I think about doing stuff here,” she explained.

DeGeneres, who moved to England with her wife Portia de Rossi in 2024, continued to discuss her interest in launching a television project in the UK.

As she referred to the popularity of reality TV shows including Gogglebox and The Great British Sewing Bee, the Finding Dory star joked it appeared to be “easy” to land a UK presenting job.

“I think it is pretty easy to get on tv here – you have a pottery show, you have a sewing show, and you even have a show about people watching tv shows!” DeGeneres quipped.

The star also touched upon her iconic US sitcom Ellen during her chat with host Graham Norton.

DeGeneres paid tribute to her UK fans for their support when both Ellen and her TV character came out as a lesbian in 1997.

“In the US they were not very thrilled about my character or me coming out so for it to be celebrated in London was such an honour. To be treated that way when everyone else was done with me was extraordinary,” she recalled.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One tonight at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.