Ellen DeGeneres opened the 18th season of her talk show on Monday following months of allegations of a toxic workplace culture under her watch that led to an internal investigation.
The host, for the first time, publicly addressed the controversy surrounding her, after BuzzFeed News published a report detailing a culture of fear among her employees that included accusations of sexual misconduct, racism and intimidation from the show's management.
"I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power and I realised that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show," DeGeneres said in her opening monologue.
DeGeneres said her programme was kicking off a "new chapter" after "necessary changes" following an internal investigation from parent company WarnerMedia, though she did not go into detail on any of the restructuring.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/3S27SB24MVRJ5UQV4QDOT7R3VU.jpg)
However, in August, executive producer Ed Glavin, co-executive producer Jonathan Norman, and head writer Kevin Leman left the show.
DeGeneres, a long-time comedian, actor and host, also joked that she was in a tough position given her reputation as the "be kind" lady, a nickname she said she earned after she urged kindness following the 2010 suicide of a young man who was bullied for being homosexual.
"Being known as the 'be kind' lady is a tricky position to be in," DeGeneres said. "So let me give you some advice out there if anybody's thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the 'be kind' lady. Don't do it."
"The truth is I am that person that you see on TV," she continued, denying allegations that offstage her personality was a far cry from the sunny persona she has crafted onstage.
DeGeneres returned to her California studio for Monday's premiere, with a virtual audience on rows of screens due to the coronavirus pandemic.
DeGeneres circulated her monologue online, though many social media users mocked her – the line "I am a work in progress" was particularly skewered – saying her words rang hollow.
Last year, before the scandal surrounding her eponymous show, she renewed her hosting contract until 2022, also signing a deal to create three shows for the streaming platform HBO Max.