Former Ellen producer SLAMS DeGeneres for ‘duping fans into believing she’s a nice person’

A producer who worked on the Ellen DeGeneres Show has come out swinging against her former employer, after the talk show host announced her decision to quit the long-running program on Thursday.

In a scathing interview on Australian breakfast show Sunrise, award-winning producer Hedda Muskat said Ellen’s show was destined for failure because she’d misled her fans into believing she was a ‘nice person’. 

‘The viewers have spoken. Her ratings have been in the toilet for a long, long time now, her show has not been fun, it has not been interesting,’ Hedda said. 

‘The viewers have spoken’: A producer who worked on the Ellen DeGeneres Show has come out swinging against her former employer (pictured) after the talk show host announced her decision to quit the long-running program on Thursday

‘And she is not really by the way, stepping down, the viewers fired her,’ she added. 

Hedda served as a producer in 2003 and was in charge of booking everyday people to appear on the show in ‘human interest’ segments. 

When asked whether she was surprised by Ellen’s downfall, Hedda simply replied: ‘Not a shock at all.’ 

Not mincing words: Appearing on Australian breakfast show Sunrise, award-winning producer Hedda Muskat (right) said Ellen’s show was destined for failure because she’d misled her fans into believing she was a ‘nice person’ 

‘I think the viewers are disappointed in the phoniness she’s been projecting, as this ‘nice person’. So I feel that the viewers feel duped, in a way, that she’s not this nice person.’  

‘The viewers are not going to put up with the backstage racism that goes on in the backstage bullying that goes on. So I think the viewers have woken up, finally.’  

Hedda also accused Ellen of being incapable of ‘connecting’ with everyday people, and preferred to buddy up to celebrities instead.  

Toxic workplace allegations: Ellen has been the centre of controversy over the past year, after being accused of workplace behaviour that created a toxic environment for her employees

‘She loved kissing a** with all the celebrities and she really was not in a position to interview real people because she really couldn’t carry a conversation with them,’ she said.   

Later in the interview, Hedda shared her thoughts about Ellen’s upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the comedian will discuss her decision to quit her talk show. 

‘I am very disappointed that Oprah is lowering herself to interview Ellen. Oprah can interview kings and queens and I watch and love Oprah and I miss her and for her to interview Ellen, it’s like why? Who cares about Ellen anymore?’ Hedda said.   

Ellen has been the centre of controversy over the past year, after being accused of workplace behaviour that created an untenable environment for her employees.  

Hedda backed up these allegations, claiming that there were ‘over 100 employees  over 19 years’ that ‘walked away with a sickened feeling about working there’.   

Last year, Ellen’s popular daytime talk show faced an internal investigation following numerous allegations of a ‘toxic’ and ‘bullying’ workplace culture.

An internal memo explained that current and former staff were to be interviewed about claims of ‘mistreatment, racism and intimidation’ behind the scenes.

DeGeneres hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing herself.

Several previous employees claimed DeGeneres was unfriendly on set and that crew members were warned not to talk to her or make eye contact.

Announcing her decision to end her show after 19 seasons, DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘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.’

She downplayed last year’s toxic-workplace scandal, however, and insisted it was not a factor in her decision to wrap up the program.

‘It almost impacted the show,’ DeGeneres, who was not accused of wrongdoing herself but was blamed for allowing the issues to develop, told the trade publication.

‘It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season,’ she added.

DeGeneres, who is married to Australian actress Portia de Rossi, has apparently been considering ending the show for several years.