EXCLUSIVE: The REAL Reasons 'Queen of Mean' Ellen DeGeneres and Her Wife Portia de Rossi Are 'Set to Mount Comebacks in U.S.' After British 'Exile'
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, may be ready to move back to America.
Dec. 9 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Ellen DeGeneres is preparing to abandon her self-imposed British retreat, with insiders now telling RadarOnline.com she and her wife of 18 years, Portia de Rossi, are heading back to the United States because rural calm has curdled into monotony – and because the "bored out of their minds" pair want to resurrect their dead showbiz careers.
The pair decamped to the Cotswolds last year, settling into a vast hilltop eco-estate after DeGeneres, 57, vowed she would stay abroad for as long as Donald Trump occupied the White House.
Time to Move Back to America?
DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi are said to be 'bored out of their minds' in the U.K.
The move was billed as a fresh start following the scandal that ended her daytime show, with the host dubbed TV's "Queen of Mean" for allegedly fronting a "toxic" workplace. But friends tell us the couple's grand experiment in exile has run its course.
Insiders claim their sprawling U.K. home, which features two lakes and stables, has left them restless, isolated from their A-list circle and frustrated by the time difference that hampers DeGeneres's behind-the-scenes plotting to get back in front of cameras.
"Ellen thought putting an ocean between herself and Hollywood would give her room to reset, but a year on, she's learned that breathing space isn't the same as forward motion," a source claimed. "The quiet is driving her nuts. Portia's restless, Ellen's restless, and they both feel their careers have been left sitting in the dark."
The insider claimed while the couple still loves the countryside, the day-to-day routine has grown stale.
'I'm a Little Bit Bored'
The comedian previously admitted she's a 'little bit bored.'
They claimed: "Ellen and Portia miss their crowd, that spark – the whole ecosystem they built in Los Angeles. They want to plug back into it."
DeGeneres herself has hinted at the creeping dissatisfaction. Speaking on stage in September, she said: "I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens, but I'm a little bit bored."
Friends now say that line landed closer to a confession than a joke.
One insider claimed: "She wasn't exaggerating. She's craving a real platform again – something beyond those middle-of-the-night L.A. Zoom sessions."
While DeGeneres has publicly praised rural life – which includes very non-showbizzy chores such as riding lawn mowers, shopping for cheese, and cultivating her flock of chickens – sources insist the pair's planned return to the States is driven equally by work and weather.
The couple are said to be contemplating a return to movies and TV.
de Rossi, who informally retired from acting in 2018, is said to be gently contemplating a return to movies and TV.
A friend of the famous duo said, "Portia didn't think she'd miss any of it, but sitting around while Ellen's tied up on nonstop Zoom calls has made her reassess.
"She wants direction again – something creative, something out in the world."
Their isolation has also played a part. Despite counting the Sussexes and the Kardashians as friends, DeGeneres and de Rossi have seen few visitors to their rural pad.
"They figured friends would be flying in constantly," a source claimed. "But it's the Cotswolds – beautiful, sure, but it's hardly a quick hop from Malibu, and they have been left feeling pretty abandoned by their old circles."
'Struggling' to Sell Their Home
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The pair are said to be struggling to sell their first home.
The two have been struggling to offload their first U.K. home, a $20million farmhouse near their current mansion. After reports of flooding around the property, DeGeneres posted online to insist the house itself was unharmed.
They listed it for $30million in July, and insiders say they may keep their newer estate as a part-time base while re-establishing themselves in California. The eight-hour time gap has become one of the biggest practical frustrations behind their U-turn over where to live, insiders stressed.
A source said, "Ellen is realizing it's hard to close deals or hold meaningful creative meetings from across the pond. Zoom can only do so much, and L.A. thrives on face-to-face interaction."
But the driver for her and de Rossi's move back to America, sources insist, is ambition.
"Ellen is desperate for a fully-fledged showbiz comeback," a friend claimed. "Whether that means a sitcom, comedy specials, or producing, she is up for anything at this point."And Portia wants to re-engage with the world. Both of them are craving a life that's more than rainy pastures, cow muck, and chickens."
