(NEXSTAR) – Ellen DeGeneres will soon be dancing off the daytime TV lineup.
DeGeneres is set to end her popular eponymous talk show after its upcoming 19th season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She informed her staff of the decision this week and will open up about the move in an interview with Oprah Winfrey scheduled to air during the show’s Thursday episode.
“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged – and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview.
The move follows last year’s stunning allegations of a toxic work environment and bullying on the show’s set. DeGeneres responded by firing key executives and issuing an apology during the premiere episode of her 18th season, saying, “I learned that things happen here that never should have happened.”
DeGeneres, however, says the controversy did not play a role in her decision to end her show.
“It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite ending her daytime show, DeGeneres is expected to maintain a relationship with Warner Bros., her production partner on unscripted projects including “Ellen’s Game of Games” and “The Masked Dancer,” among others.
As for her future, DeGeneres said she plans to commit more time to wildlife conservation efforts in Rwanda, but also expressed a desire to transition back to film, rather than an acting role on television.
“A sitcom seems like a walk in the park compared to this, 180 shows a year,” she told the outlet. “I don’t know if that’s really what I want to do next, but movies for sure.”