The Ellen DeGeneres Show ran for nineteen seasons where the comedian would invite various celebrities to talk, dance, and play games to inspire all kinds of happy. But as it’s been two years since the show’s final week of episodes premiered, former guests have been getting real about what their TV experience was really like. One former Bachelorette star, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, reveals she felt like DeGeneres was “laughing” at her and made her feel “stupid” as a guest on the talk show.
On a Christmas Eve episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Off the Vine podcast (via People), The Bachelorette’s Ali Fedotowsky-Manno spoke about her time being a frequent guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. While the social media influencer expressed being “so excited” to first appear on the Daytime Emmy Award-winning show during her early start in reality TV, she admitted she didn’t find DeGeneres “mean, per se” but made her feel “stupid”:
I remember that when I was on her show, I was so excited to be on the show. And I don't think she's a bad person. Sometimes I bet when you do a job like that, all day, every single day, for years, you're just kind of over it, right?
Ellen DeGeneres does have a huge background in television. In fact, she’s an example of a woman who changed television forever when she came out as gay in her '90s sitcom Ellen and dominated daytime television with her 19-season talk show. But if Ali Fedotowsky-Manno’s claims are true that DeGeneres’ behavior towards her on her talk show was based on growing tired of her long-standing position, I can see that being a reason. After almost two decades of inviting guests to her show, the NBC series decided to say goodbye. While fans speculated its ending came from a series of allegations from former employees about a toxic work environment, the former host’s reasoning was to find ventures that challenge her as she heads towards a new chapter. As the retired show business figure is living a new life in the UK with wife Portia de Rossi, I would say she’s doing just that.
While we don’t know which moment Ali Fedotowsky-Manno was referring to in Off the Vine, there were some awkward times she experienced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In a February 2010 appearance, she told DeGeneres she didn’t properly read her leave of absence papers from Facebook before joining The Bachelor with the daytime host telling her, “Sure, read things.” Then when a giggly Fedotowsky-Manno appeared again in May of that year, the Finding Nemo voice actress asked if she was drunk. The 2012 Miss USA Pageant judge continued to say on the podcast she felt DeGeneres was laughing at her compared to with her:
Here I am, this 24-year-old, famous for no reason, comes on her show, and she's like, 'I gotta talk to one of these idiots again,' you know? I went on the show. I was dancing, and everyone comes out dancing, like, 'Hi.' And I was trying to be funny and personable. And instead of laughing with me, she was laughing at me. Do you know what I mean?
Ali Fedotowsky-Manno wouldn’t be the only Ellen DeGeneres Show guest who’s voiced discomfort during their time there. Stars like Lea Thompson and other celebrities chimed in agreement on the “Mean Ellen” rumors. Singer Mariah Carey also said she felt “extremely uncomfortable” with DeGeneres when she wasn’t ready to reveal her pregnancy, feeling forced to after the host poured her some champagne which she refused.
Musician Charlie Puth called out the Finding Dory actress for feeling a lack of support when she signed him onto the now defunct record label eleveneleven. And we can’t forget about the memorable TV talk show moment when Ellen DeGeneres put Dakota Johnson on the spot for not inviting her to her 30th birthday when, in fact, she did. These moments added to the growing controversy about the toxic environment allegations of the American syndicated talk show.
Even though Ali Fedotowsky-Manno said Ellen DeGeneres made her feel “stupid” and was “laughing at me” as a guest on her talk show, it appears the TV personality is trying to see things from the daytime host’s perspective and not taking it personally. After all, history has shown a pattern of awkward moments that have occurred with other celebrity guests who were on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. As we head into a new year, take a look at our 2025 TV schedule for more information on the latest daytime talk shows to tune in for.
