Ellen DeGeneres' guests told to shower praise on host during show appearance: 'Tell her what a big fan you are'
After 36 former employees of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' accused the showrunners as well as the producers of the show of sexual misconduct, it was revealed in a separate report that the producers insisted guests fawn over the comedian on-air. A couple of guests who appeared on the show in the past and requested to remain anonymous told Page Six that while being prepped for their interview, producers allegedly told them to shower praises on the daytime talk show host. “Compliment Ellen, tell her what a big fan you are,'' one of them said. Another source went through something similar during an appearance three years ago on the show. “These guests were already fans of Ellen, big fans, but to be told you have to flatter her was really weird. You shouldn’t have to be told … If you do look at past interviews, most of the guests always gush over Ellen — whether they’re members of the public or her close friends,'' the insider said.
The report comes after DeGeneres finally spoke out on Thursday, taking overall responsibility for the reports of toxic workplace allegations, hinting that she would soon be firing some people to right the wrongs on her show in an open apology letter to her staffers. “I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs … Clearly some didn’t,” she wrote. “That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.” She added that after nearly being left without a career when she came out as gay, “I truly … have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or — worse — disregarded.”
Warner Bros released a statement to BuzzFeed News on Thursday, July 30, saying, it "hoped to determine the validity and extent of publicly reported allegations and to understand the full breadth of the show’s day-to-day culture. It was important to both Warner Bros and Ellen that as many people as possible attached to the program could be heard. The Ellen DeGeneres Show is, and has always strived to be, a place that brings positivity to the world. And though not all of the allegations were corroborated, we are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management. We have identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them."
Following previous allegations of bullying and racism on the sets of the show, it was reported that the talk show had become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia. Executives from producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third-party firm after the working conditions at the show were exposed.
Regarding the probe, the studio expressed its disappointment in a statement provided to Deadline, "Though not all of the allegations were corroborated, we are disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management.”