Tiffany Haddish has reportedly emerged as the favorite to take up the daytime TV mantle long occupied by Ellen DeGeneres.
“Tiffany is a favorite, she has humor and empathy in spades,” a senior NBCUniversal source toldPage Six. “She’s top of the list to get a daytime show – she’s a fresh voice.”
If Haddish does take up the mantle, it seems like it will be in a different format.
“As we revealed in February, DeGeneres owns the rights to her show, which is syndicated and produced by Warner Bros. so it’s impossible to replace her without launching a fresh format with a new host,” Page Six wrote in their report.
Haddish was guest host on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in October after reports of a toxic workplace environment led to the dismissal of executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman, as well as co-executive producer Jonathan Norman. The three men were accused by former and current employees of sexual misconduct and harassment, in addition to inciting racism, fear, and intimidation.
DeGeneres addressed the allegations for the first time when she returned to her show in September. Haddish appeared on that same episode and voiced her support for Ellen. The comedian and actress filled in as guest host for a third time last month.
Haddish has also been honing her hosting skills on the CBS revival of Kids Say The Darndest Things.
DeGeneres confirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the 19th season of her syndicated daytime talk show will be her last. “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 explained.
DeGeneres later told the audience during Wednesday’s episode that she allowed her instincts to dictate when it was right time to go.
“You may wonder why I’ve decided to end after 19 seasons. The truth is, I always trust my instincts,” she explained. “My instinct told me it’s time. As a comedian, I’ve always understood the importance of…timing. In all seriousness, I truly have felt like next season was the right time to end this amazing chapter.”
Ellen said she informed the staff of her decision on Tuesday. Page Sixreported in January that executives for Telepictures, the production company behind Ellen, were aware that DeGeneres, who had one year left on her deal, wanted to leave, but they preferred if she got a replacement, so they could hold onto her current time slot.
Page Six also reported that it appears the increasingly popular Kelly Clarkson Show is primed to take Ellen’s coveted 3:00 pm time slot.
