May 12 proved to be an eventful day in the world of television and film. Janelle Monae joined the cast of Knives Out II, EJ Johnson earned a spot the upcoming Proud Family reboot and Wood Harris was added to HBO's scripted series about the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers. With all that happened, many were locked into the decisions being made at NBC. First, NBC announced that This Is Us would after six seasons. The network followed the first bombshell with news that Ellen DeGeneres would end her run as the host of Ellen after 19 seasons. The legendary talk show host told The Hollywood Reporter that she needed a new challenge in her career to keep her sharp and fresh.
“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.
DeGeneres has been a fixture in the world of entertainment for the last two decades. She has chopped it up with everyone from Hilary Clinton to Chance The Rapper. For her latest show, she will sit down with Oprah Winfrey to dive deeper on her decision to walk away from the popular program.
In the wake of her departure, many began speculating who would take her place. Early reports suggest that comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish could soon take the daytime talk show throne at NBC and Warner Bros. TV.
“She’s top of the list to get a daytime show – she’s a fresh voice," a source at NBC told Page Six.
Haddish is best known for her role in Girls Trip and her comedy specials. However, she also has experience as a talk show host. She has led CBS's Kids Say The Darndest Things reboot as of late. Most recently, she made a cameo in Ty Dolla $ign's "By Yourself" video and secured a role in Here Today alongside Billy Crystal.
It is still early in the process and DeGeneres's announcement is still fresh. A lot can still happen between now and her final show.
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