Ellen DeGeneres is said to be eyeing a return to television, but fresh allegations have resurfaced that may derail her plans. According to RadarOnline, the former daytime talk show host has been in early talks with Kelly Clarkson while quietly exploring a potential comeback project.
The move would mark her first major return since The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended in 2022 following widespread reports of a toxic workplace environment. However, a former cameraman who claims to have worked on DeGeneres’s show for a decade has stepped forward with new claims about her alleged off-camera behavior.
In a recent interview, the ex-staffer alleged that DeGeneres once banned celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay from her set after he criticized her food. “She banned Gordon Ramsay after the chef called her cooking ‘rubbish,’” he claimed.
The same staffer also alleged that DeGeneres would become “cold” toward male employees if they were spotted talking to her wife, actress Portia de Rossi. “It was just weird,” he said. “Cameras on, she’d be dancing, doing all this fun stuff, and cameras off, she was terrifying.”
The resurfacing of such claims has cast a shadow over DeGeneres’s ambitions. A source close to the matter told RadarOnline.com that the renewed allegations have dealt a significant blow to her efforts. “This has ignited the whole scandal again, and it’s hit Ellen like a ton of bricks,” the insider said.
The source continued, “She’s smart enough to know it’s a huge turnoff for anyone wanting to hire her. Someone always seems to come crawling out of the woodwork to dredge up the past.”
The renewed controversy reportedly left DeGeneres in what insiders describe as “a foul mood,” with her wife, Portia, shouldering much of the emotional fallout once again. “Portia is bearing the brunt of it,” the insider said, noting that the cycle of negative stories has made it difficult for DeGeneres to rebuild her reputation.
DeGeneres was once among the most popular figures in American television, known for her lighthearted interviews, generous giveaways, and cheerful persona. But in 2020, her program came under fire after multiple employees spoke out about what they described as a toxic workplace culture. Although she apologized publicly at the time, the controversy lingered, and her show came to an end after nearly two decades on the air.
Whether the latest claims will prevent DeGeneres from staging a comeback remains unclear. For now, she faces the challenge of navigating old controversies that continue to reemerge whenever talk of her return begins.