Ellen DeGeneres cancels string of stand-up comedy tour dates

Ellen DeGeneres has quietly cancelled four scheduled dates on her stand-up comedy tour.

It is the first tour from the US comedian since she stepped down from The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May 2022 after allegations of a toxic workplace environment.

The 66-year-old previously apologised to staff after an internal review found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”, but denied this was the reason for her exit.

Several upcoming shows from Ellen’s Last Stand…Up tour in Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago have been cancelled, with a notice from Ticketmaster’s website.

The note said: “Unfortunately, the event organiser has had to cancel your event.”

It is unclear why the dates on July 10, 21, 23 and August 11 have been cancelled, as other dates in the cities are going ahead as planned.

DeGeneres previously announced that she is set to return with her final TV comedy special, appearing to suggest it will feature her departure from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which she had hosted since 2003.

“To answer the questions everyone is asking me – Yes, I’m going to talk about it,” she said on Instagram.

The special will mark her second for Netflix, following her 2018 special titled Relatable.

DeGeneres rose to fame in March 1994 with her sitcom titled Ellen, in which she won widespread acclaim for her portrayal of a neurotic bookshop owner in her 30s.

The first episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired on September 8 2003, and she became known for her bubbly on-screen persona and “be kind” mantra, often taking part in lavish giveaways or acts of charity.

In November 2016 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.

In July 16 2020 BuzzFeed News published an article in which anonymous former employees alleged a toxic workplace on the show.

Weeks later, Warner Bros confirmed it was making staffing changes following an investigation into the claims and DeGeneres issued an apology to staff in an internal memo.

DeGeneres later addressed the allegations on her talk show, saying: “I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected.”

In May 2021, DeGeneres announced her talk show would be ending after 19 years citing it is “just not a challenge any more”.

The final episode which aired a year later, featured guest appearances from Jennifer Aniston, Billie Eilish and Pink.

A representative for DeGeneres has been contacted for comment.