Ellen DeGeneres paying 'millions of dollars' in bonuses as her show draws to an end

A behind-the-scenes source says the 64-year-old host "has been incredibly generous" to employees since the show began. Photo / Getty Images

Ellen DeGeneres may have been widely accused of fostering a toxic working environment on her talk show, but as the final weeks of her show unfold it is reported that the comedian is to hand out "millions of dollars" in bonuses to her remaining staff.

A source told the New York Post: "Ellen and [production company] Warner Bros. worked together to make sure every person was taken care of", when the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs on May 26.

The exact size of the sum that DeGeneres will pay out to staff has not been confirmed but the inside source claims that "it was not even a question for Ellen to cover bonuses … That was very important to her".

In stark contrast to the allegations of a toxic culture on the set of the show, the source states that the 64-year-old host "has been incredibly generous" to employees since she began. In addition to cash rewards, a source told The Post late last year that, during the final season, DeGeneres "gave gifts to everyone including trips, watches, cars".

Ellen DeGeneres' wife, Portia de Rossi, is slated to appear on one of the final episodes of the talk show. Photo / Getty Images

Deadline also reports that Warner Bros. plans to extend health cover for ex-staff for six months after the show ends and will provide access to work-seeking resources such as resume-building workshops and networking opportunities.

DeGeneres hosted the very first episode back in 2003 and has since led more than 3000 shows.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show's final episodes are set to feature a host of celebrities, including Michelle Obama, Channing Tatum, Serena Williams, Zac Efron, Adam Levine, Diane Keaton, Kim Kardashian, and DeGeneres' own wife, Portia de Rossi is slated to appear.