Drew Barrymore Is Reportedly In Ellen DeGeneres' Crosshairs For Taking Her Daytime Crown

It was in 2020 that a string of controversies surrounding comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her eponymous talk show reached critical mass, resulting in a massive public fall from grace for the daytime television icon. And while DeGeneres supposedly began planting seeds for a potential comeback after moving away from the U.S., rumors suggests that it's become impossible for her to deny that her reputation has been severely damaged. To add insult to injury, the power vacuum left in the wake of DeGeneres' show ending appears to have closed — with the "Finding Nemo" star reportedly feeling jealous of one big name in the daytime TV world, in particular.

Citing an anonymous source, the National Enquirer claimed in March 2026 that DeGeneres was becoming increasingly resentful of Drew Barrymore due to the "Scream" alum's upward trajectory in her old stomping grounds. "Ellen is jealous!" the supposed insider said, adding, "Drew has completely replaced her when it comes to the genre of feel-good daytime television." Notably, "The Drew Barrymore Show" premiered in 2020 — the very same year DeGeneres' public downfall took place. Two years afterward, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" came to an end.

On top of that, the National Enquirer's March 2026 report came less than two weeks after Deadline broke the news that "The Drew Barrymore Show" had been renewed through 2028 while still riding the wave of its most successful season yet in terms of viewership. The National Enquirer's source attributed this success to Barrymore and her producers tweaking aspects of the show slightly: "As a result, she's made subtle yet substantial changes that really resonate with audiences." The insider continued, "It's starting to dawn on people, Ellen included, how rich this talk show is making Drew."

Drew Barrymore was certainly no stranger to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" when it was still on the air. In fact, an official YouTube compilation featuring all of Barrymore's appearances on DeGeneres' show clocks in at three hours in length, implying that the two were at least decently friendly. So, if the National Enquirer's source is to be believed, why would DeGeneres have it out for Barrymore, specifically? After all, "The Drew Barrymore Show" is hardly the only daytime program to find success in a post-"Ellen" world — just ask Kelly Clarkson or Jennifer Hudson. However, DeGeneres' rumored jealousy toward Barrymore becomes a lot less surprising when you remember that the two reportedly have existing beef stemming from their short-lived reality show.

In 2017, DeGeneres and Barrymore collaborated on NBC's "First Dates," based on the British reality show of the same name that premiered on Channel 4 in 2013. But whereas the original British version is still on the air after more than a decade at the time of writing, NBC's American remake ended up getting the ax after just one season. And while it's unclear exactly why the show was canceled so quickly, reports of tension between DeGeneres, the show's executive producer, and Barrymore, its narrator, probably didn't help matters. A source speaking to InTouch Weekly in April 2017 described a behind-the-scenes environment defined by power struggles and clashing personalities. "Ellen and Drew are a case of oil and water," they said, adding, "Ellen expected to be the one calling the shots, but Drew thinks she should have creative control because she's the movie star people are tuning in to see." Evidently, Barrymore may have gotten the last laugh in the end.