Inside Ellen DeGeneres’ last show: ‘The entire place was crying’

nypost.com:

shed more than a few tears leading up to the final episode of her eponymous talk show.But her last dance on Thursday, May 26, will be an especially “emotional” one, an insider who was at the taping has told The Post.In her remaining weeks after nearly two decades on air, she’s welcomed some final face time with a procession of A-list guests including Oprah Winfrey, Justin Timberlake, just-anointed “Saturday Night Live” alum Kate McKinnon, Michelle Obama, Sean “Diddy” Combs, potty-mouthed Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Hart, Chelsea Handler and Michael B.

Jordan, among others.But the show source said her tears have been “happy” ones untinged by bitterness or regret, despite the heavy cloud hanging over her since allegations of a “toxic” work environment first cast a pall over her “be kind” brand.

In 2020, DeGeneres faced a string of negative workplace allegations, for which she subsequently apologized yet nonetheless led to a shuffling of upper-level showrunners for the show’s 18th season.“Her mood during the last two weeks was very crying, but a happy cry,” the source said. “All her crying was nothing but gratitude for what we had accomplished together.

The sadness was that she wasn’t going to get to see her staff every day.”A post shared by Ellen DeGeneres (@theellenshow)The feeling is reportedly mutual since taping ended on April 28.“The entire staff has been texting with her,” the source added. “Everyone misses her.”The last episode is “very classic Ellen” — showcasing her “talking to guests, having fun, laughing,” according to the insider, who offered details about Thursday’s final send-off, which will be bookended with DeGeneres’ first guest ever back on Sept.