Her decision followed a sharp ratings decline for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” also known as “Ellen,” which is in its 18th season.
Once at the very top of her field, Ms. DeGeneres, 63, was bringing in roughly the same number of viewers as Maury Povich and Kelly Clarkson, daytime hosts who, until recently, did not give her much competition.
Between September and February, the show brought in $127.6 million in advertising revenue, according to the research firm Kantar.
The slide started shortly after BuzzFeed News reported in July that several former and current staff members said they had confronted “racism, fear and intimidation” at work.
On her return to the air in September, she addressed her viewers: “I learned that things happen here that never should have happened.
Celebrities including Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Lange, Madonna, John Travolta, and Barack and Michelle Obama broke out their goofiest moves as they danced with the show’s star.
“Ellen” was a natural outgrowth of Ms. DeGeneres’s standup act.
In 1986, Ms. DeGeneres was the first female comedian making her “The Tonight Show” debut to be invited by Johnny Carson to sit by his desk, a gesture of respect.
Jim Paratore, an executive at Telepictures, which was part of Warner Bros., believed she had what it took to be a hit on daytime TV.
The Be Kind Box now available includes “ice globe facial massagers” from the brand Aceology, a vegan leather shoulder bag from Samara and a reusable water bottle from Fill It Forward.
The complaints about the “Ellen” workplace seemed to contradict the host’s public image, and she suddenly found herself the subject of criticism.
She noted all this in her on-air apology, telling viewers, “Being known as the Be Kind Lady is a tricky position to be in.
She had indeed hinted at pulling the plug in recent years.
The pandemic probably didn’t help the ratings for “Ellen.” The restrictions forced Ms. DeGeneres to broadcast from her home part of last year, depriving her of the interactions with an often boisterous studio audience.
“Although all good things must come to an end, you still have hope that the truly great things never will,” Mike Darnell, the president of the Warner Bros.
Even at the start, Ms. DeGeneres was more than just affable.