Ellen DeGeneres marks filming of last episode of her talk show

Ellen DeGeneres said being invited into people’s lives has been “the greatest privilege” of her life as she revealed the final episode of her talk show had been filmed.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show, hosted by the comedian and actress, 64, will come to an end on May 26 following a run of 19 seasons.

Last year, DeGeneres announced she was stepping down from her eponymous TV show, following controversy over an alleged toxic workplace environment.

“When we started this show in 2003, the iPhone didn’t exist. Social Media didn’t exist. Gay marriage wasn’t legal.

“We watched the world change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

“But whatever was happening, my goal was always for the show to be a place where we could all come together and laugh for an hour.

“Being invited into your lives has been the greatest privilege of my life and has brought me incredible joy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

After the chat show officially ends, it will “continue to air guest host shows, compilation shows, and repeats during the summer months on affiliate stations”.

The show premiered in 2003 at NBC Studios and later moved to Warner Bros Studios, with stage one later being dedicated to DeGeneres.

During its almost two decades on air, the show featured more than 4,000 guests and put some of the biggest names in the entertainment world in the hot seat.

DeGeneres apologised to staff after an internal review by Warner Bros found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”.

The review was launched following reports of a toxic environment on the programme, but DeGeneres has denied that is the reason she is ending the programme.

Guests over the last couple of months have included the Duchess of Sussex, who appeared on screen in November last year and spoke about Halloween, saying her and the Duke of Sussex’s son Archie had dressed as a dinosaur, with baby daughter Lili dressed as a “little skunk like Flower from Bambi”.

Hollywood star Rob Lowe, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and former US first lady Michelle Obama have also appeared on the show over the last few weeks.