You’ve seen it a thousand times. That wide, sun-drenched space with the towering palm trees in the background, the sliding glass doors that looked like they led to a permanent California summer, and the coffee table that saw more celebrity tears and scares than a therapist's office. For nearly two decades, the Ellen DeGeneres Show set was a staple of daytime TV. It wasn't just a collection of plywood and paint. To fans, it felt like a living room. To the industry, it was a high-tech marvel of efficiency.
But when the cameras finally stopped rolling in 2022 after 19 seasons and over 3,000 episodes, a lot of people wondered what happened to the physical pieces of that legacy. Did they just toss those famous white chairs? Is the "Riff Raff Room" still a thing?
Honestly, the reality is a mix of high-stakes Hollywood recycling and a very literal "name change" that redefined one of the most famous soundstages in the world.
The Secret Life of Stage 1 (AKA The Ellen Stage)
If you wanted to find the heartbeat of the show, you had to go to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. Specifically, Stage 1. This place is massive. We're talking about a 10,000-square-foot facility that was basically gutted and rebuilt specifically for Ellen when she moved there from NBC Studios in 2008.
Most people don't realize that the "set" was actually a complex of three different stages (Stages 1, 2, and 3) all working together. Stage 1 held the main audience and the interview area. Stage 2 and 3 handled the production offices, the "Ellen Shop," and the control rooms.
In 2015, to celebrate her 2,000th episode, Warner Bros. officially renamed the building "The Ellen Stage." It was a huge deal at the time—a permanent mark on a lot that has hosted legends like The Big Bang Theory and Casablanca.
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The Riff Raff Room: More Than Just a Name
One of the weirdest and most beloved parts of the Ellen DeGeneres Show set was the "Riff Raff Room." Tom Hanks actually coined the name. Basically, the show was so popular that they couldn't fit everyone into the main studio. Instead of sending people home, they put them in a lounge area with monitors and a gift shop.
This room wasn't just a waiting area; it became part of the show's DNA. Ellen would regularly cut to the "Riff Raff" crowd, play games with them, or even send celebrities back there to surprise them. It was a clever way to make a secondary space feel like the front row.
What Actually Happened to the Furniture?
When a show ends, the set usually goes through a "strike." This is a polite industry term for tearing it all down. But the Ellen DeGeneres Show set didn't exactly meet a dumpster.
Because the show was produced by Telepictures (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.), they kept a lot of the structural elements. If you tune into The Jennifer Hudson Show today, you might experience a weird sense of déjà vu. That’s because Jennifer Hudson took over Stage 1—The Ellen Stage—almost immediately after Ellen left.
Recycling the Magic
They didn't just keep the room; they kept some of the bones.
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- The Sliding Doors: Those massive motorized video walls that Ellen used for her monologue? They’re still there. It turns out those things are incredibly expensive to build and even harder to remove. The Jennifer Hudson Show retooled them with new graphics, but the mechanical "reveal" remains the same.
- The Audience Seating: The bleacher structure where the "dancing audience" once stood is largely the same. It was refreshed with new upholstery and colors to match Hudson’s warmer, floral aesthetic, but the footprint is identical.
- The Technical Core: The "brains" of the studio—the control room, the audio suites, and the lightning rigs—remained mostly intact. It’s a state-of-the-art 4K facility. You don't just throw that away.
The iconic white chairs and the original coffee table, however, were moved into the Warner Bros. archives or taken by the producers. Ellen herself reportedly kept a few sentimental pieces, though she’s mostly moved on to her new life in the UK.
Why the Set Design Was a Psychological Trick
There was a reason the Ellen DeGeneres Show set felt so different from other talk shows. Most late-night sets are dark, moody, and use lots of wood and cityscapes. Ellen’s team went the opposite direction.
They wanted it to feel like a "backyard oasis." The lighting was kept incredibly bright to keep the energy up. The temperature was famously kept in the low 60s. Why? Because Ellen believed that if the audience was slightly cold, they would have to move and dance more to stay warm, which translated to better energy on camera.
The "Be Kind" brand was baked into the physical design. The succulents, the soft blue hues, and the lack of a desk between her and the guests were all intentional choices to break down barriers. It was designed to feel accessible, even if the woman sitting in the chair was a billionaire.
The Reality of a "Toxic" Soundstage
You can't talk about the Ellen DeGeneres Show set without acknowledging the elephant in the room. In 2020, reports surfaced about a "toxic work environment" behind the scenes. For fans, this was a massive shock because the set looked so happy.
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Former staffers described a "culture of fear" that existed just inches away from the bright lights and dancing. The investigation led to the firing of three top producers and, ultimately, the decision to end the show.
This contrast is what makes the set's history so complex. To the viewer, it was a place of "Twelve Days of Giveaways" and "Know or Go." To some who worked there, it was a high-pressure environment that didn't always match the "Be Kind" slogan on the monitors.
Can You Visit the Set Today?
If you're looking to sit in the "Ellen Stage" today, you have two main options.
- The Warner Bros. Studio Tour: This is the most consistent way to see the lot. While they don't always take you inside the active filming stages, the tour often passes Stage 1. You can see the "The Ellen Stage" plaque on the exterior of the building.
- Attend a Taping of The Jennifer Hudson Show: Since J-Hud is currently using the space, getting a ticket to her show is the only way to actually sit in those famous bleachers. You'll see the revamped version of the space, but the ghost of Ellen's set is definitely still in the architecture.
Actionable Tips for TV Set Enthusiasts
If you’re a fan of TV history or set design, here’s how to get the most out of a visit:
- Check the "Lineup": Before booking a studio tour, check which shows are currently in production. Shows usually "dark" (stop filming) during the summer and holidays.
- Look for the Plaques: Every major stage at Warner Bros. has a plaque listing the famous shows filmed there. Stage 1 is a "double-hall-of-fame" spot because of its history with both variety and sitcoms.
- Follow the Designers: If you love the look of the set, look up production designers like Jane Musky or Bruce Ryan. They are the geniuses who figure out how to make a cold soundstage feel like a cozy home.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show set might be physically gone in its original form, but its DNA is literally built into the walls of Stage 1. It changed how daytime TV looked—swapping the stuffy desk for a sofa and the "quiet audience" for a dance party. Whether you loved the show or were glad to see it go, there’s no denying that Stage 1 remains one of the most influential squares of real estate in Hollywood history.