Ellen DeGeneres' Talk Show Will End Much As It Began, And Jennifer Aniston Is Part Of The Fun

Jennifer Aniston and Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
(Image credit: NBC)

The end is near for The Ellen DeGeneres Show as, later this month, the longtime daytime TV offering is set to conclude after nearly two decades. It’ll truly mark the end of an era, and many viewers are sure to have a mixture of emotions about it. With only a few weeks left in its run, details on the show’s final episode have surfaced, and it seems the show will end just as it began. In addition, Jennifer Aniston will be getting in on the fun as well. 

It was announced via Instagram that the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will indeed feature an appearance from the Friends alum, creating a full-circle moment for the NBC staple. When the show kicked off its run in 2003, she was the first guest the titular host welcomed. So it’s only fitting that she be featured as the final interviewee as well. And she won’t be alone, as Pink (who wrote the show’s theme song) will also be present as will Billie Eilish. Plenty of other stars will also be paying visits in the lead-up to that final farewell, including Zac Efron, Oprah Winfrey, Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake

This won’t be the first time that Jennifer Aniston has appeared during Ellen’s farewell season. Aniston originally returned to help kick off the final stretch of episodes, much to the delight of the host. Over the course of the talk show’s run, Aniston has been featured on over 20 episodes, so it’s more than evident that she’s been a major fixture since the production’s inception. 

At the end of April, Ellen DeGeneres confirmed that she had taped the final installment of the series. In that same social media message, she shared some thankful sentiments with the fans for the 19-year journey. As she put it, getting to produce the program has “been the greatest privilege of my life and has brought me incredible joy.”

Now that production has officially wrapped, the media personality is going to have to find a new gig, and she certainly has a variety of options. Her wife, Portia de Rossi, shared her own thoughts on the matter when she was a guest this season. De Rossi suggested that her spouse could take on stand-up comedy again but, ultimately, she just wants her to do something that makes her happy

Ellen has seen a decrease in viewers this season, but there’s a chance many may be tempted to tune in to see her sign off for the last time. The episode will undoubtedly be emotional but, with Jennifer Aniston and others stopping by to help close things out, there should still be plenty of fun.

The final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs on Thursday, May 26 on NBC, so be sure to check your local listings for the exact time. Also, take a look at CinenaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for information on shows that are premiering and returning.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.