Ellen DeGeneres moves to the UK

An editorial look at Ellen DeGeneres moves to the United Kingdom after the 2024 election and hints of a stage return.

Ellen DeGeneres finds quiet strength in UK life after Hollywood exit

Ellen DeGeneres, 67, and Portia de Rossi, 52, moved from the United States to the United Kingdom after the 2024 election. They first bought Kitesbridge Farm in the Cotswolds in 2024 for about $20 million, then put the property on the market for around $30 million and moved to a nearby 10,000-square-foot home named Hiaven for $26 million. The couple have settled into rural life, posting about long countryside walks, feeding chickens, and riding a lawnmower as part of a slower pace away from Hollywood. The decision comes after a high-profile bullying investigation into The Ellen DeGeneres Show which ended in 2022 and led to the firing of several producers.

During a Cheltenham Q&A, DeGeneres described the UK life as absolutely beautiful and said she would love to perform again someday. Insiders say she is enjoying the privacy and calmer pace, and that the move fits a broader pattern of celebrities seeking space from the glare of American fame. The couple have also socialized with local figures, visited traditional pubs, and explored the area’s social scene while balancing frequent trips back to the United States to see family and friends.

The move reads like a case study in reinvention. In opting for the countryside over a glamorous return to a Hollywood routine, DeGeneres signals a new chapter focused on privacy, routine, and smaller crowds. The shift could reshape how audiences measure success, away from ratings and red carpets toward personal balance and creative rest. Yet reinvention carries risk; skeptics may interpret the relocation as a retreat from accountability or a reset of the public narrative after past controversies.

The timing matters. Linking the move to the 2024 election injects a political dimension into a personal decision, which could invite scrutiny from fans, sponsors, and media watchdogs. The partnership with WME and ongoing US connections keep doors open, but the UK life may also limit the immediacy of a Hollywood comeback. The story is less about a celebrity fleeing trouble than about a star retooling influence in a different country, with the potential for renewed creative work on a new stage or platform.

Highlights

The next chapter will test whether reinvention can outlast the glare of fame