Jennifer Aniston was Ellen DeGeneres’ last guest on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ before the talk show ended on May 26, 2022, with other special guests Billie Eilish and Pink. Jennifer made her 20th appearance on the show, having also been Ellen’s very first guest when it debuted in 2003. At the time, ‘Friends’ was approaching its final season, and she was at the height of her fame as Rachel Green.

During DeGeneres’ first episode in September 2003, Aniston expressed how happy she was to see the former hosting a daily show. She said, “What’s better than like getting you every day? I mean, once a week was, you know, great, but now it’s every day.” DeGeneres responded, “Well yeah, thanks, my goal is to do it three or four times a day.” Aniston also brought DeGeneres a gift, a welcome mat with a red bow. DeGeneres was excited and said, “Look at that, it’s a welcome mat!” She then placed it at the base of her set. In return, DeGeneres gave Aniston a donkey-shaped cigarette dispenser, joking that “it looks good anywhere.” Aniston laughed and added, “Oh, my God! My husband is going to love this.” At the time, she was married to Brad Pitt.
DeGeneres announced her decision to end the show after 19 seasons, following reports of a toxic work environment. Several former employees spoke out about mistreatment, including claims of racism, fear, and intimidation. Some said they were fired after taking medical or bereavement leave, while others reported racist remarks and favoritism in the workplace. The controversy started when BuzzFeed News published an article featuring anonymous testimonials from past and current staff members. The accusations included verbal abuse by senior producers, unfair treatment, and a culture of fear behind the scenes. Many were shocked because Ellen had built her brand on kindness and positivity. After the allegations surfaced, WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation into the show’s workplace culture.

As a result, three top producers; Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman, were fired. Ellen responded by apologizing to her staff, saying she wanted the show to be a happy place for everyone. She admitted that things happened that “never should have,” and she took responsibility for fixing the issues, as per The Sun. Despite trying to improve the work environment, Ellen announced in May 2021 that the 19th season of her show would be the last.

Ellen Degeneres, winner of mulitple awards, poses in the press room during the People’s Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Credit Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kevork Djansezian)
Ellen Degeneres, winner of mulitple awards, poses in the press room during the People’s Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Credit Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kevork Djansezian)

She explained that while the controversy hurt her, the real reason for ending the show was that she no longer felt challenged by it. In her farewell post on Instagram, she shared, “19 years, 4,000 guests, 3,000 hours of TV, 1,500,000 audience members, 20,000,000 laughs, $450,000,000 given, countless lives changed and one farewell season.” The final season started on September 13, 2021, and ended on May 26, 2022.