Ellen DeGeneres has confirmed that she moved from the U.S. to the UK due to Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.
The comedienne and former talk show host said she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, plan to make the UK their permanent home.
Speaking at an appearance in Cheltenham, England, on Sunday, DeGeneres shared the story of their move with broadcaster Richard Bacon. The event was a live, in-person conversation with an audience.
Highlights
- Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi moved to the UK and have decided not to return to the U.S. after Trump’s re-election.
- DeGeneres criticized efforts by some U.S. groups to reverse same-sex marriage, and plans to remarry in the UK for legal protection.
Ellen DeGeneres moved to the UK due to Trump’s return as American president
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She said they arrived in the UK the day before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
When they woke up and saw that Trump had been re-elected, they decided not to go back to America.
“We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis. I was like, ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
DeGeneres and Rossi now reside in the Cotswolds, a rural region in England renowned for its stunning countryside and villages.
DeGeneres described the area as “absolutely beautiful” and said they enjoy the simple life.
“We’re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture—everything you see is charming and it’s just a simpler way of life,” she said.
“It’s clean. Everything here is just better—the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
DeGeneres added: “Rossi flew her horses here, and I have chickens, and we had sheep for about two weeks.”
DeGeneres said the couple is happy with their life in the UK and is not planning to return to the U.S. anytime soon.
She also talked about the challenges facing LGBTQ+ people in America. She mentioned that some groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention, are trying to reverse the legalization of same-sex marriage.
“The Baptist Church in America is trying to reverse gay marriage,” she said. “They’re trying to literally stop it from happening in the future and possibly reverse it,” DeGeneres said.
DeGeneres criticized attempts to reverse the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S.
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Because of this, DeGeneres and Rossi are thinking about getting married again in the UK to protect their rights. DeGeneres explained, “If they do that, we’re going to get married here.”
Later, in response to an audience question, she added: “I wish we were at a place where it was not scary for people to be who they are. I wish that we lived in a society where everybody could accept other people and their differences.”
DeGeneres and Rossi married in 2008 after same-sex marriage was legalized in California.
DeGeneres also reflected on her career and the controversies she faced before moving to the UK. Her long-running Ellen DeGeneres Show ended in 2022 after 19 seasons and faced criticism over allegations of a toxic workplace environment.
She faced major backlash in 2020 after multiple former staff and guests accused her of unkind behavior and creating a difficult work environment.
YouTuber NikkieTutorials described her as “cold and distant,” while former crew members criticized the lack of communication and care during the pandemic shutdown.
Public criticism intensified after a viral Twitter thread collected thousands of negative stories about DeGeneres.
DeGeneres then apologized publicly and spoke about this on the show.
“I’m a direct person, and I’m very blunt,” she said, facing the audience. “I guess sometimes that means that... I’m mean?”
After her show ended, DeGeneres went on a final stand-up tour across the U.S. in 2024 before moving to England. She also released a Netflix special, which received mixed reviews.
She remains positive about her life in the UK. She enjoys sharing moments of her country life on social media, including pictures of the countryside, her animals, and even a rainbow.
DeGeneres said she misses some parts of her old life, like her talk show, but feels the entertainment world has changed. “People are watching on their phones, or people aren’t really paying attention as much to televisions,” she said.
As for her future, she said she would pick her next move “very carefully.”
“I just don't know what that is yet,” DeGeneres said. “I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens, but I’m a little bit bored.”
She also discussed the controversies surrounding her in 2020, two years before her show ended
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Although DeGeneres has been openly critical of Trump, she faced significant backlash in 2019 after photos surfaced of her attending a Dallas Cowboys game with George W. Bush, sparking controversy over their friendship.
This was given Bush’s controversial record on LGBTQ+ rights, like proposing an amendment that bans same-sex marriage, and his actions in the Iraq War that led to over a million deaths.
She later defended herself by saying, “I’m friends with George Bush. I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have.”