Ellen DeGeneres’ A-list pals including Katy Perry jump to her defence

A handful of Ellen DeGeneres ' A-list pals have jumped to her defence amid allegations of a 'toxic' environment at her talk show.

The telly star, who fronts her own show, has come under fire in recent weeks after current and ex-employees made claims about the workplace culture.

Insiders have said Ellen is 'devastated' that Hollywood has turned on her so quickly.

However amid the wave of bad publicity, a number of Ellen's famous pals are emerging to publicly support her.

Katy Perry is among those to have spoken out.

The pregnant singer, 35, shared her admiration for Ellen on Instagram and made it known she was there for advice.

She penned: "I know I can't speak for anyone else's experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow.

"I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow."

Actress Diane Keaton was another star to defend Ellen.

She wrote on Instagram: "I ALWAYS ENJOYED MY VISITS TO THE ELLEN SHOW. I’VE SEEN HOW THE AUDIENCE EXUDES HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE. SHE GIVES BACK TO SO MANY INCLUDING ME."

Meanwhile, polo player Nacho Figueras branded Ellen "a great human being".

The American star, who is good pals with the show host and Prince Harry, made a statement on his Instagram.

He wrote: "I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is.

"I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved.

"I have seen Ellen act not just in her show but in public appearances in theaters where she is nice to absolutely everyone, the guy serving the coffee, the person in the elevator, the security guy and the owner of the venue. Everyone loves her because that is who she is."

The star added that Ellen "makes the world a better place for millions of people" and that "no one is perfect".

Nacho continued: "She makes the world a better place for millions of people everyday and we cannot hit her because something may have not been perfect. No one is perfect, and we cannot control everything."

He urged other stars to come forward and prove they are real "friends" to Ellen and to make their voices heard.

The list included the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Obama and Pink.

He added: "So I stand for you my friend and I challenge all the amazing people that know you and call you a friend to say who you are.

"The world has become a very dangerous place because it seems that we cannot make anything right.

"If I am going to be criticized for defending someone that I think deserves to be defended then so be it."

Nacho concluded: "So... We love Ellen right? whoever else should be on this list which is really long."

Ellen has found herself engulfed in accusations of bullying behaviour by employees, past guests, and fellow celebs – with many insisting her mean nature is common knowledge among the Hollywood elite.

Last week, it was reported she "turned a blind eye" on sexual accusations by top execs working on The Ellen Show.

Variety also revealed her show was being investigated amid allegations of racism, bullying and sexual harassment behind the scenes.

NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy is part of the team overseeing the investigation – with a source claiming the exec is a big fan of James Corden and is lining him up to take over.

However, Today report that Telepictures have confirmed that Ellen will return to the stage to host the 18th season of her talk show.

The online outlet were told by a source close to the show's production that Ellen has not got to worry about being replaced as “no one is stepping in or taking over,” though the internal probe by Warner Media is “still ongoing” and involves a third-party firm.

Ellen's personal spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that The Ellen DeGeneres Show is set to return to airwaves Sept 9.

It comes after reports last week suggested Ellen was preparing to walk from her show as accusations of "mean" behaviour continued to mount against the star.

A show insider told the Daily Mail: "She feels she can't go on and the only way to recover her personal brand from this is to shut down the show."

They added that the "truth is that she knew what was going on".

Ellen addressed the allegations about her show in a letter of apology.

She wrote: Hey everybody – it’s Ellen. On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.

"I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros, we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues. As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done.

"Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again. I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop. As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded.

"To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me. It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention. I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so. I am so proud of the work we do and the fun and joy we all help put out in the world. I want everyone at home to love our show and I want everyone who makes it to love working on it. Again, I’m so sorry to anyone who didn’t have that experience. If not for COVID, I’d have done this in person, and I can’t wait to be back on our stage and see you all then.

"Stay safe and healthy. Love,

Ellen."

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