She’s gone. Honestly, it’s still weird to think that the woman who danced into our living rooms for nineteen years now spends her mornings watching sheep in the English rain. For a long time, the rumors were just that—rumors. People whispered about her leaving California, but nobody really believed the "queen of daytime" would actually ditch Montecito for a drafty farmhouse.
Then it happened. Ellen DeGeneres UK became a reality, and it wasn't just a vacation.
It was a full-blown relocation. She packed up the dogs, the horses, and Portia de Rossi, landing in the Cotswolds just as the 2024 U.S. election was wrapping up. It’s been a wild ride since then. One minute she’s being spotted in a local pub in Wigginton, and the next, she’s buying a $27 million mansion back in the States, sparking a whole new wave of "is she coming back?" drama.
The Great Escape: Why the Cotswolds?
Most people assume she left because of the "mean" allegations that dogged the end of her talk show. That's part of it, sure. But at a live "In Conversation" event in Cheltenham last July, Ellen got real with broadcaster Richard Bacon. She admitted the election was the final straw.
She told the crowd that they arrived in England the day before the vote. When the results came in, the texts from friends started flooding in with crying emojis. Her response? "We're staying here."
She’s not just hiding, though. She’s renovating.
Ellen and Portia initially bought a place called Kitesbridge Farm for about £15 million. Typical Ellen—she didn't like the "tired" look of it. She hired 70 workers to pull off an 18-month renovation in just ten weeks. Imagine the noise. The neighbors weren't exactly thrilled, especially when plans for a single-story extension started worrying the local council about "disturbing Roman remains" and increasing flood risks.
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Living the Rural Life (With House Sheep)
The reality of Ellen DeGeneres UK is way more "farm-core" than you'd expect.
- She’s been posting videos of "house sheep" literally wandering into her living room and climbing on the furniture.
- Portia flew her horses over because she couldn't live without them.
- They’ve got chickens, a new puppy named Sport, and a massive glass-walled "modern" farmhouse they moved into after deciding the first one wasn't big enough for the animals.
It sounds idyllic, right?
Well, it depends on who you ask. While Ellen gushed in Cheltenham that "everything here is just better" and praised how polite the British are, the honeymoon phase might be hitting a snag. By late 2025, reports started surfacing that the quiet life was getting, well, a bit boring.
Is She Coming Back to America?
Here is where it gets interesting.
In November 2025, Ellen reportedly closed an off-market deal for a $27.4 million mansion in Montecito. This happened just a year after she "permanently" moved to the UK.
Why buy a massive estate in California if you’re happily living in Oxfordshire? Some sources say Portia is restless. Apparently, walking in the freezing cold and watching Ellen on Zoom calls isn't quite the same as the high-energy social scene in LA. Others think it’s just Ellen being Ellen—she’s a world-class house flipper. She buys, she fixes, she sells. It’s her version of a hobby.
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The "In Conversation" Tour
Despite the "I'm retired" talk, Ellen hasn't stayed completely silent. She spent much of late 2025 touring the UK with her "In Conversation" show. She hit places like:
- Cheltenham (The Everyman Theatre)
- Reading (The Hexagon)
- Milton Keynes
- Oxford
These weren't stand-up specials in the traditional sense. They were more reflective. She talked about the "unpleasant" way her show ended and how she felt "kicked out of show business." It seems the UK gave her the space to process that away from the paparazzi of Sunset Boulevard.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think she’s living in London. She isn't. She’s about two hours away in the deep countryside.
When you see headlines about Ellen DeGeneres UK, don't picture her at Afternoon Tea at the Ritz. Picture her on a ride-on lawnmower (which she’s admitted she struggles to drive) or grabbing a drink at a local pub where the regulars "don't bother her."
She even let her hair go natural for a while—ditching the signature platinum blonde for a darker, greyish look—before recently switching back. It felt like she was trying on a new identity, one where she didn't have to be "on" all the time.
The Reality Check
Look, the British weather is no joke.
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In late 2024, Storm Bert hammered the region with snow and rain. Ellen had to reassure fans on Instagram that her farmhouse didn't flood. But months of grey skies can wear down even the most determined expat. Whether the Montecito purchase means a permanent return or just a "winter home" remains to be seen.
What we do know is that she’s still very much in the middle of a transition. She’s gone from being the most powerful woman in daytime TV to a woman trying to figure out if she prefers modern glass architecture over 17th-century stone.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Observers
If you're following the Ellen saga, here is what to keep an eye on:
- The Kitesbridge Sale: The first farmhouse is currently on the market for around £22.5 million ($30 million). If it sells quickly, it might fund more UK projects—or provide the exit ramp back to California.
- Social Media Clues: Watch her Instagram for more "Sport" (the puppy) updates. Her location tags usually reveal whether she's in the Cotswolds or back in the 805 area code.
- Tour Dates: While she’s wrapped up her 2025 appearances, any announcement of a 2026 Netflix special or a new book will likely be filmed or written from her British "refuge."
The "Ellen DeGeneres UK" chapter isn't necessarily a closed book, but it’s definitely a different genre than the one we're used to. It's less "dance party" and more "dog walks in wellies."
For anyone looking to catch a glimpse of the star, your best bet isn't a TV studio in Burbank—it's a quiet lane in Oxfordshire, provided you don't mind the rain.