The bright lights and laughter of daytime TV often hide a more complicated reality behind the cameras.
Greg Fitzsimmons, a former joke writer for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, recently opened up about his experiences, describing Ellen as “a control freak” and recalling moments when minor misunderstandings turned her visibly seething.
Fitzsimmons shared his stories on the We Might Be Drunk podcast with comedians Mark Normand and Sam Morril, painting a picture of a high-pressure environment that wasn’t always as sunny as it appeared on air.
Early Days on the Show
Fitzsimmons first caught Ellen’s attention during the show’s inaugural season in 2003.
She offered him a role as a warmup comic for the live studio audience, a position he initially hesitated to take.
“I don’t want to be the warmup guy on a daytime talk show,” he remembered thinking.
But the offer came with extra pay and short daily hours, and he eventually accepted — a decision he would later have mixed feelings about.
The Infamous Banana Incident
One particularly memorable moment involved a harmless audience interaction.
Fitzsimmons instructed the crowd to do a “wave” whenever he said the word “banana” during his set.
Coincidentally, Ellen’s script for the day also included the word.
“When she said banana, the crowd waved. She hadn’t seen the warmup, so it was like the worst thing that could ever happen for a control freak,” Fitzsimmons recalled.
When it happened a second time, she reportedly grew furious, leaving him fearing for his job — though he ultimately kept it.
Emmy Success Amid Chaos
Despite the tense environment, Fitzsimmons won four Daytime Emmys for his work on the show.
But the victories didn’t erase the strain of working under a boss who, he says, grew more temperamental as her fame soared.
“She became mean because she was back on top,” he reflected.
Other staffers reportedly experienced even more pressure, with new writers often breaking down under the stress.
Fitzsimmons described it as a constant cycle of fear and hierarchy, with people desperate to stay “in the circle.”
Broader Allegations and Legacy
Fitzsimmons’ anecdotes align with broader claims about Ellen’s behind-the-scenes behavior, including reports of bullying and pranks meant to mock her alleged childishness.
The daytime show faced a major scandal in 2020, and it ultimately ended in 2022 amid ongoing stories about the workplace culture.
Even after moving to the UK with wife Portia De Rossi, Ellen admitted she misses hosting, though she blames changing viewing habits for the show’s decline.
“People are watching on their phones, or people aren’t really paying attention as much to televisions,” she told the BBC.
Perspective from a Seasoned Comedian
Looking back, Fitzsimmons acknowledged he was experienced enough to handle the pressure, having written for Bill Maher and The Chelsea Handler Show.
Still, he noticed many first-time writers struggling to cope with the emotional toll.
He joked about Ellen now being out of the country, implying he’s moved on with a sense of humor intact.
