‘Everything here is just better': Ellen DeGeneres confirms she moved to the UK because of Donald Trump
At a conversation event on Sunday at Cheltenham's Everyman theatre – the comedian's first public appearance since leaving the US – broadcaster Richard Bacon asked DeGeneres if it was true Trump had spurred her decision to relocate.
'Yes,' she said. 'We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in.' And we're like, 'We're staying here.''
DeGeneres moved with her wife, Portia de Rossi, to a house in the Cotswolds in 2024 after her long-running talkshow ended and she embarked on a 'final comedy tour' around the US.
At the time, her move was described as permanent. A source told industry publication The Wrap that DeGeneres was 'never coming back' and was motivated by Trump, though DeGeneres herself had not confirmed the reasoning until now.
DeGeneres told Bacon that her new home was 'beautiful'.
'It's clean,' she raved. 'Everything here is just better – the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.'
She also expressed concern for LGBTQ+ rights in the US, hinting that she and De Rossi may get married again in the UK.
'The Baptist Church in America is trying to reverse gay marriage,' DeGeneres said, referencing an overwhelming vote by southern Baptists in June to endorse a resolution that would seek to overturn same-sex marriage in the US.
'They're trying to literally stop it from happening in the future and possibly reverse it,' DeGeneres continued. 'Portia and I are already looking into it, and if they do that, we're going to get married here.'
Later in the talk, she added, 'I wish we were at a place where it was not scary for people to be who they are. I wish that we lived in a society where everybody could accept other people and their differences. So until we're there, I think there's a hard place to say we have huge progress.'
At the event, DeGeneres also addressed the scandal that had dogged the end of her daytime talkshow Ellen after 19 seasons in 2022.
In 2020, former employees accused DeGeneres of fostering a toxic work environment. She apologised to her staff and to the audience, and an internal investigation by parent company Warner led to the departure of three executives – but the show never quite recovered and ended amid declining ratings.
DeGeneres had previously commented on the controversy in her 2024 US tour, saying she was 'kicked out of show business' for being 'mean'.
On Sunday, she made similar comments on stage. 'No matter what, any article that came up, it was like, 'She's mean',' DeGeneres said. 'How do I deal with this without sounding like a victim or 'poor me' or complaining? But I wanted to address it.'
She said she had been misconstrued. 'I'm a direct person, and I'm very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that ... I'm mean?'
DeGeneres concluded that it was 'certainly an unpleasant way to end' her talkshow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
James Cleverly returns to front bench in shadow cabinet reshuffle
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has begun a reshuffle of her shadow cabinet. Sir James Cleverly is set to return to the party's front bench, but it is not yet known which job he will take. A senior Tory source said Sir James, a former rival of Ms Badenoch's for the leadership, would help 'take the fight to this dreadful Labour government'. The shadow cabinet reshuffle comes just eight months after Ms Badenoch was elected leader by Tory members and is an admission the party has been underperforming. Further changes to Ms Badenoch's top team are expected on Tuesday.
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
David Lammy says moment for taking the knee has 'probably passed' after Lionesses said they will no longer use anti-racism gesture before matches
has suggested the time for taking the knee has 'probably passed' after the Lionesses said they will no longer use the gesture before matches. The Foreign Secretary said kneeling had been adopted at a 'moment in time' after the murder of George Floyd in the US. He also insisted he had not seen people making the gesture for 'some years' - even though it routinely happens at football games. The England women's team has announced they will not take the knee before kick-off after one of their stars Jess Carter was subjected to racist abuse during the Euros tournament. In a statement, the Lionesses said 'another way' needed to be found to tackle racism and football must look at 'what more can be done'. Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were among the senior politicians pictured taking the knee at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. However, the roots of the protest go back much further, including Colin Kaepernick using it in the NFL in 2016. Asked on Times Radio this morning about the gesture, Mr Lammy said: 'I think that was a moment in time after the murder of George Floyd. 'I think that moment has probably passed. I haven't seen actually for some years people using that particular gesture.' The Tottenham MP - a Spurs fan - stressed that football had come a long way since the 1970s but highlighted that problems persist. "I think that football has done a lot, since I started going to watch matches with my father at Spurs back in the 1970s, to bear down on racism across the sport,' he said. 'But clearly there is more to do and it's distressing and very sad that these young players are receiving racism in the way that they are. 'I think the overwhelming majority of people that go and watch is now very much a family game go with a pure heart and are certainly not going to dish out abuse on women playing football. 'It's for players and communities to show their concern about supporting a space that is free from abuse in the way that they think best appropriate."
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Lily Allen showcases her toned abs in a TINY bralette as she enjoys night out with La Roux star Elly Jackson ahead of opening of her new play
Lily Allen flaunted her jaw-dropping figure as she enjoyed a night out with pals including La Roux frontman Elly Jackson on Monday. The singer, 40, took to her Instagram Stories with snaps ahead of the opening of her new play Hedda which premieres at the Theatre Royal Bath later this week. Lily showcased her incredibly toned abs in a tiny stripped bralette which she wore with a black hoodie that slipped down her shoulders. The Smile hitmaker appeared in great spirits as she cosied up to her friends and giggled for the camera. The stunner later shared a snap of the play's poster outside the theatre which sees her in character as Hedda Gabbler, sobbing and holding a gun. Lily and Elly are longtime friends having both found fame in the music industry in the 00s, La Roux won a Grammy and produced hit singles In for the Kill and Bulletproof. Lily Allen (centre) flaunted her jaw-dropping figure as she enjoyed a night out with pals including La Roux frontman Elly Jackson (left) on Monday Lily showcased her incredibly toned abs in a tiny stripped bralette which she wore with a black hoodie that slipped down her shoulders Lily (R) and Elly (L) are longtime friends having both found fame in the music industry in the 00s (pictured together last month) Lily is retunring to the stage as Hedda in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play, following the success of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman. Directed by Matthew Dunster, she is the first to star in the new re-imagined show. The role is described as 'the hoop through which every actress with her eye on greatness must jump.' Ingrid Bergman, Peggy Ashcroft, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Cate Blanchett, Glenda Jackson and Rosamund Pike have all played Ibsen's manipulative, tragic heroine Hedda. It will be only her third stage role, following a well-received stint in 2:22 A Ghost Story — in which she was directed by Dunster — and a slightly less well-received performance in Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. She told DailyMail's Alison Boshoff last year: 'I am absolutely thrilled to be given the chance of playing Hedda Gabler. 'I adore working with Matthew Dunster and can't wait to explore this piece with him. 'I'm very excited to bring her to Bath next summer, in the intimacy of the Ustinov studio, it's going to be great.' The stunner later shared a snap of the play's poster outside the theatre which sees her in character as Hedda Gabbler, sobbing and holding a gun Lily is retunring to the stage as Hedda Gabbler in a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play, following the success of 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Pillowman La Roux won a Grammy and produced hit singles In for the Kill and Bulletproof (pictured 2009) Matthew added: 'Lily and I were talking about women we knew that were trapped in relationships where men had all the power, and how these 21st century women were still being controlled and destroyed. 'The conversation turned to plays where we could explore those ideas. We thought of Hedda Gabler and the connections were obvious, exciting and devastating. 'I relish watching Lily challenge herself, she pushes me, and I really value our ongoing collaboration. 'We want to offer up a Hedda that is absolutely for now.' Lily snagged an Olivier Award nomination for 2:22 A Ghost Story. Before then she had a small role as actress Elizabeth Taylor in the 2020 film How To Build A Girl, which was produced by her mother, Alison Owen, and based on the book by Caitlin Moran. She was also in the comedy series Margate. Lily enrolled in drama school in New York in 2023 and remarked that it was the first time she had studied since leaving school aged 15. She added that live theatre was: 'utterly terrifying; I don't think I've ever been more scared than before the opening nights'.
