Ellen DeGeneres confirms very different TV comeback over a year after talk show ended in controversy
Ellen DeGeneres has revealed her first TV project over a year after her daytime talk show went off air.
Ellen DeGeneres is returning to television over a year after her daytime talk show went off air.
The 65-year-old star will front new two-hour documentary special 'Saving The Gorillas: Ellen's Next Adventure' on the Discovery Channel after 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' ended in May 2022 following allegations of mistreatment and misconduct behind the scenes.
She said: "Every single thing has led me to just have a big enough platform to say, ‘Look at work Dian Fossey did'.
“There’s nothing that keeps you more present, more in the moment, than sitting with gorillas.”
The documentary is set to air on September 23 on Discovery Channel, and again on September 24 for World Gorilla Day on Animal Planet.
The programme will highlight Ellen's love for animals and her admiration for primatologist Dian Fossey as she builds the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.
The campus opened last year and has helped with gorilla conservation and biodiversity, while it also hosts visitors, including groups of local schoolchildren.
Craig H. Shepherd, executive vice president at Zero Point Zero Production, added: "We are so thrilled to partner with Ellen, Portia, and their team to bring this amazing Gorilla conservation journey to life on screen.
“Their impact on conservation and the immediate community in Rwanda is an inspiration for all.”
Ellen previously faced accusations of being "mean" and the furore prompted an internal investigation into her talk show by bosses at Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia.
The presenter issued a statement addressing the reports when the show returned to TV in September 2020 and insisted changes were being made.
She also admitted she's not perfect and stressed she was "working" on her behaviour, adding: "The truth is I am that person that you see on TV.
"I am also a lot of other things. I get sad. I get mad. I get anxious. I get frustrated. I get impatient. And I am working on all of that."
She announced the series would be coming to an end in May 2022, saying in an episode of the show: "You may wonder why I’ve decided to end after 19 seasons.
"The truth is, I always trust my instincts. My instinct told me it’s time."
