Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi | Source: Getty Images
Ellen DeGeneres Admits the Real Reason She Moved to the United Kingdom
Jul 21, 2025 - 12:17 P.M.
Ellen DeGeneres has traded Hollywood for the English countryside, now revealing that it was a pivotal history in the U.S. that convinced her to stay in the United Kingdom for good.
Ellen DeGeneres recently opened up about her move to the United Kingdom, revealing that the 2024 U.S. presidential election played a decisive role in her relocation.
During a public conversation with broadcaster Richard Bacon at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the former talk show host was asked whether her departure from the U.S. was triggered by Donald Trump's re-election.
"Yes," she replied bluntly. DeGeneres, 67, shared that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, had originally planned to split their time between the U.S. and the UK, but changed course after arriving just before the election.
"We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in,'" she explained. "And we're like, 'We're staying here.'"
The former talk show host described life in England as refreshing and more grounded compared to what they had grown accustomed to in the United States.
"It's absolutely beautiful," she said of their new rural surroundings. "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."
DeGeneres appreciates the United Kingdom's cleanliness and kindness. "Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here," the talk show host revealed.
She also noted that she and de Rossi have considered renewing their vows in the U.K., citing concerns about efforts in the U.S. to challenge same-sex marriage protections.
Although their move took place in November 2024, which she acknowledged was "not the ideal time," DeGeneres found joy in the new setting. "I saw snow for the first time in my life. We love it here."
DeGeneres and de Rossi have been embracing the rural life. They take care of chickens and horses, and once had sheep.
The TV personality has occasionally shared glimpses of her new life on social media, featuring videos of her animals and countryside surroundings.
