It’s been more than four years since Ellen DeGeneres namesake talk show ended its run, after 19 seasons and more than 3,300 episodes.
Since the, DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi have stepped away from Hollywood for a quiet life in England, moving to a posh estate in the Cotswalds.
A Candid Admission
On Friday, October 16, DeGeneres dropped by BBC’s “The Graham Norton Show,” alongside fellow guests Quentin Tarantino, Colin Farrell and Gemma Chan.
During her conversation with host Graham Norton, DeGeneres hinted that she might be ready to re-enter the world of television after relocating from California to the U.K. in 2024.
“I’ve nothing really going on and I really miss being on TV,” said DeGeneres, as reported by People.
“I miss a lot about it — laughing with the writers and the audience. I think about doing stuff here,” she said, jokingly adding, “I think it is pretty easy to get on TV here.”
She added an observation about how the shows popular in the U.K. are vastly different from those in the U.S.
“You have a pottery show, you have a sewing show, and you even have a show about people watching TV shows,” she said, referencing British series “The Great Pottery Throwdown,” “The Great British Sewing Bee,” and “Gogglebox,” respectively.
Eyeing New Projects
DeGeneres’ comments echo some earlier remarks she made during a 2025 radio interview with BBC, revealing she was in the process of exploring some new projects.
However, she also admitted she’s come to realize the kind of show she did for all those years is no longer relevant in the current media landscape.
“I mean, I wish it did, because I would do the same thing here. I would love to do that again, but 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.”
As for what kind of project she might embrace, DeGeneres admitted she hadn’t quite zeroed in on it yet, but would know it when she saw it.
“I just don’t know what that is yet. I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens but I’m a little bit bored,” she added, joking about her home in the British countryside.
Her Judging Days Are Over
When DeGeneres does make her showbiz comeback, it’s a pretty safe bet that she won’t be taking a role as a judge on a TV talent competition.
As “American Idol” fans will recall, DeGeneres joined the show’s judging panel in 2010. However, her experience on the show was unpleasant for her and dissatisfying for viewers, due to the fact that she found it difficult to criticize aspiring singers. She only stuck around for one season before conceding she wasn’t cut out to be a judge.
During a 2015 appearance on “The Howard Stern Show,” DeGeneres was asked if she “hated” her brief time on the show.
“Yes,” she said, describing joining “Idol” as “one of the worst decisions I’ve made.”
Asked why she took the job in the first place, she responded, “As a fan of the shows, it doesn’t matter that I sing or I know anything about pitch or anything, I’m like everybody else at home. It’s ‘American Idol,’ and you’re watching and you’re a fan. So I thought, ‘I’m going to represent these people at home that have opinions and like somebody or don’t.’ But then I just thought, ‘I can’t break this person’s heart. Let somebody else do that.’”
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Ellen DeGeneres Eyes Television Comeback Four Years After Talk Show’s End: ‘I Really Miss Being On TV’