Inside Ellen DeGeneres’ Final ‘Ellen’ Tapings: Oprah, Peter Roth and Plenty of Dancing

After 19 seasons, Ellen DeGeneres’ self-titled daytime talk show is coming to an end, with the final shows airing this week.

The final Ellen shows were filmed nearly a month ago, though, and The Hollywood Reporter sat in on her third-to-last taping on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank on April 26. The episode featured special guests Oprah Winfrey and Mila Kunis, along with some near-tear moments and, of course, lots of dancing.

The audience, which was rapid COVID-tested and given Ellen-branded masks before heading inside, was filled with the friends and family members of those who work on the show, adding extra emotion to what DeGeneres was already showing as she stepped out onstage.

“Don’t start crying,” she warned the crowd, saying they would set her off as well. In her intro, the host said she would miss the viewers, her staff and executive producer Andy Lassner texting during the show. She also teased that “now is the time to buy, operators are standing by” for her Ellen merch — with her famous Ellen underwear already sold out.

After dancing through the audience for one of the last times — and sitting through a video package of her staff’s favorite memories from two decades on the show — DeGeneres kept the energy going during commercial breaks, playing tag with producers, grooving with DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss and singing along to music pumped through the studio.

Then it was time to bring out Winfrey, who attendees did not know would be the day’s guest — cue the subsequent screams and standing ovation. The visit marked Winfrey’s first time in front of an audience since the pandemic began, as she noted she’s been extremely cautious the past two years, declaring upon her arrival, “It’s good to see people!” The superstar had come to Los Angeles just for the show, having been in Atlanta for the filming of The Color Purple.

The two hosts discussed the show’s final days, as Winfrey said she was tearing up backstage, being reminded of the end of her own talk show in 2011. “There will never ever be a time like this,” she told DeGeneres. DeGeneres explained that she’s “trying to stay present and feel all of it” in the emotions of her final tapings, along with consulting with author and purpose coach Jay Shetty. DeGeneres also spoke about taking inspiration from Winfrey throughout the years and noted that few people, let alone women, knew the experience she was going through.

During commercial breaks the two continued to chat, and Winfrey even took part (from her chair) in a choreographed dance tWitch led for the audience. Peter Roth, former chairman of Warner Bros. TV Group who stepped down in early 2021, was also in attendance to support DeGeneres, as he talked with the two from behind the cameras. Roth later gave Winfrey a big hug and took a photo alongside her and DeGeneres, who teased he had reappeared in town for the show after taking off to Hawaii following his departure.

To finish off the segment, Winfrey and DeGeneres, who have neighboring homes in Montecito, brainstormed some future projects they could collaborate on (Real Ex-Talk Show Hosts of Santa Barbara, CSI: Montecito) and DeGeneres acknowledged Winfrey as “my mentor, my friend — thank you for all of your support.”

Kunis later popped in as the second guest, joking, “You had me follow Oprah? My worst nightmare come true.” The two talked about her experience with a longtime job coming to an end via That ’70s Show, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the show making a donation to Kunis’ charity work there.

During a final commercial break, DeGeneres stopped by the audience overflow space, dubbed the “Riff Raff Room,” to say hello to fans and circulate through the seated crowd.

The host’s final run of episodes closes out a two-year period in which DeGeneres and the show have had their share of controversy, including toxic-workplace claims that surfaced in the summer of 2020, prompting an internal investigation and the dismissal of key executives. The comedian told THR in 2021 that she wasn’t ending the show because of the claims, but she was seeking a new challenge.

After the cameras cut, DeGeneres grabbed a microphone and told the audience members, “I feel so much pride for what we have done with this show,” thanking them for understanding what she does and reflecting on stories about making people happy with her platform.

She just wanted to make people laugh with the show, she said, and has been able to do such much more during her nearly two-decade run, including the financial support she’s been able to hand out. And without teasing too much of what’s ahead, only that there will be more, DeGeneres added before walking offstage — with only two episodes to go — “Thank you so much for being a part of this. I will see you in my next chapter.”