Ellen DeGeneres made her first public appearance since relocating to the UK, and she didn’t mince words about what motivated the move: Donald Trump’s re-election. Speaking at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham on Sunday, the comedian was asked by broadcaster Richard Bacon whether Trump’s return to office influenced her decision to leave the U.S. DeGeneres gave a blunt, one-word reply: “Yes.”
“He Got In… We’re Staying Here”
According to the BBC, DeGeneres said she and wife Portia de Rossi arrived in the UK just a day before the U.S. election. The next morning, their phones were flooded with texts filled with crying emojis. “And I was like, ‘He got in,’” DeGeneres recalled. “We’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
After the end of her talk show in 2022 and a final stand-up tour in 2024, DeGeneres purchased a countryside property in the Cotswolds, an area that spans Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. What was originally intended as a “part-time house” quickly became a full-time residence.
“America Can Still Be Scary for People Like Us”
DeGeneres also revealed that she and Portia are considering renewing their vows or remarrying in England, citing rising concerns over LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. She noted that for many, “America can still be scary for people to be who they are.”
Life in the UK: “It’s Just Better Here”
Now 67, DeGeneres offered a peek into her new life in the British countryside. She’s shared glimpses of her rural surroundings online, including her experiences with chickens and sheep, which she ultimately gave up because they kept escaping.
“We moved here in November — not the ideal time — but I saw snow for the first time in my life,” she said. “Portia flew her horses here. I had chickens. We had sheep… for about two weeks.”
Describing her new surroundings, she added: “It’s absolutely beautiful. The villages, the towns, the architecture — everything is charming. It’s a simpler way of life… it’s clean, the people are polite, the animals are treated better. I just love it here.”
On Toxic Workplace Allegations: “Clickbait”
DeGeneres also addressed past allegations about creating a toxic work environment on her former show. While she acknowledged that she can be “very blunt,” she dismissed the accusations as overblown and labeled them “clickbait.”
Now settled in the UK, DeGeneres says she’s found peace and a renewed sense of freedom — and no plans to return to the U.S. anytime soon.
