WENN

Ellen DeGeneres is walking away from her daytime chat show next year.

The comedienne's The Ellen DeGeneres Show will end after its 19th season on TV.

The news was leaked to the Daily Mail on Wednesday as DeGeneres prepared to tape the show, in which she would break the news to her devoted viewers.

She later confirmed the claims to The Hollywood Reporter, saying, "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."

The exit comes a year after Ellen's reputation as one of Hollywood's nicest people took a hit following allegations from current and former staffers suggesting she turned a blind eye to bad behavior behind the scenes.

One ex-employee said producers were mean and bullish and the atmosphere on set was often toxic.

Ellen released an apology to staff and also spoke out about the scandal, insisting she would do better going forward.

Multiple producers were also fired.

Ellen has just launched a new show, Ellen's Great Design Challenge, on HBO Max, and currently oversees a variety of programs on TV in the U.S. Kelly Clarkson's hit daytime show is expected to fill the slot vacated on the schedule by DeGeneres' departure.