Vault: Ellen DeGeneres Joins The Show

Summary

The Bert Show – "Vault: Ellen DeGeneres Joins The Show"

Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Bert (with cast participation); featuring Ellen DeGeneres
Podcast Theme: The Bert Show is Atlanta’s authentic, real and funny morning radio show, featuring interviews, entertainment news, and relatable listener drama.

---

Episode Overview

This special "Vault" episode features comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres as the main guest. The episode revolves around Ellen’s career, especially her coming out on her sitcom, her transition to talk show host, her approach to handling adversity with humor, her impact on audiences, and her perspective on acceptance in both personal and professional contexts. The dynamic interview, punctuated by listener calls, delves into Ellen’s TV milestones, her influential voice performance as Dory in "Finding Nemo", and her unique approach to making guests comfortable on her talk show.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

---

Ellen’s Coming Out and Its Impact

[01:41–03:22]

• Melissa (Caller) expresses gratitude to Ellen for coming out, sharing a personal story about how it helped her own family accept her sexuality.
  • Melissa (01:41):
    "Your show actually was what my family watched in order to learn how to accept me because about that time I was coming out."
• Ellen describes the challenges and risks she faced in coming out both personally and through her TV character.
  • She highlights her determination to be authentic, noting the network's uncertainty and her willingness to blend humor with serious subject matter.
  • Ellen candidly discusses the consequences, admitting she underestimated the fallout.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (02:11):
    "I thought it was not going to be a big deal, and I was wrong. But... I can't just ignore this now. The character doesn't just come out and go back to her life... We've got to somehow... make this an interesting show that no one's seen before..."
  • She reflects on the "last year" of her sitcom as something she’s proud of, even if it didn’t do well with ratings.

---

Humor as a Coping Mechanism

[03:22–04:34]

• Jen (Caller) asks Ellen if she applies humor to personal challenges as she did on her show.
  • Ellen affirms, emphasizing the value in helping audiences (and herself) escape from difficulties, if only briefly.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (03:39):
    "I'm a comedian, and what I love about this show is that people watch the show and they feel good... If I can do that for an hour... you're forgetting whatever's going on in your life or in the world, which is a pretty scary place right now."
  • She admits she’s sometimes better at cheering others up than herself.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (04:14):
    "That's how most of us are, I think."

---

Acceptance and Personal Growth

[04:41–05:50]

• Melissa revisits the topic post-“Ellen” and “Finding Nemo,” asking Ellen if she feels more accepted now than earlier in her career.
• Ellen acknowledges the challenge of regaining people's comfort and trust post-coming out.
  • She discusses the passage of time, her personal growth, and how being herself is now simply accepted.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (04:54):
    "I definitely think I'm more accepted now just because I've grown a lot and I've learned a lot. And also the focus isn't on [my sexuality] anymore. The focus is that's just a part of who I am..."
• She notes her public perception is less about that chapter and more about her as an entertainer and person.

---

Voice of Dory: Being Recognized by Kids

[05:50–06:23]

• Bert brings up Ellen's iconic role as Dory from "Finding Nemo," sharing a personal anecdote about his child recognizing Ellen’s voice.
  • Ellen shares the fun and sometimes confusing reactions she gets from children, and how she often demonstrates her Dory voice for them.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (06:05):
    "People will bring their kids and say, you know, this is Dory. Which is really confusing to a kid... then I tell them to close their eyes and I start talking like Dory, which is pretty close to this voice anyway."

---

Why the Talk Show Format?

[06:27–07:38]

• Jen asks Ellen about her choice to pursue a talk show.
  • Ellen says the idea was offered during her sitcom days but she waited for the right moment. After her sitcom ended, the timing and creative freedom of the talk show appealed to her.
  • She enjoys being spontaneous, talking to people, and incorporating music.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (06:33):
    "A talk show seems like a really great way to... be myself, because I can think on my toes. I love talking to people. I love being spontaneous. I love music... it was just the thing that was in front of me and I said, well, this is what I'll do now. And it has been the exact right thing..."

---

What Makes The Ellen DeGeneres Show Different?

[07:38–08:47]

• Bert notes the impressive celebrity line-up on Ellen’s upcoming shows, asking why big names are eager to appear.
  • Ellen highlights her approach: making guests comfortable with unorthodox questions, allowing for real conversations (not just Q&A), and creating a low-pressure, safe environment for guests to reveal different sides of themselves.
  • Ellen DeGeneres (08:00):
    "Everybody that comes on... says that, you know, of all the shows they do, they really look forward to this show and they have fun... It's not the typical, you know, question and answer... I want them to reveal something we don't normally see..."

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On blending personal and professional authenticity:
  "If I'm coming out, the character should come out, because it's ridiculous. The character's kind of, you know, close to who I am."
  — Ellen DeGeneres (02:15)
• On helping others through humor (and her own humility):
  "I'm sometimes better at getting other people to do it than myself, you know, but that's how most of us are, I think."
  — Ellen DeGeneres (04:27)
• On acceptance and moving forward:
  "I'm back to just being able to be myself and be funny and be a comedian and make people feel good..."
  — Ellen DeGeneres (05:44)
• Dory recognition anecdote:
  "I tell kids to close their eyes and I start talking like Dory, which is pretty close to this voice anyway."
  — Ellen DeGeneres (06:08)
• On the talk show career transition:
  "It just seemed like the exact right thing for me to do... it has been the exact right thing that, you know, I should have done."
  — Ellen DeGeneres (07:21)

---

Segment Timestamps

• [01:34] Episode content begins, Ellen DeGeneres joins
• [01:41–03:22] Coming out and network struggles
• [03:22–04:34] Humor as coping strategy
• [04:41–05:50] Ellen on acceptance and growth
• [05:50–06:23] Dory/“Finding Nemo” and kids’ reactions
• [06:27–07:38] Why a talk show? Ellen’s reasoning
• [07:38–08:47] What sets her talk show apart for celebrities
• [08:59–09:02] Conversation concludes

---

Conclusion

Ellen DeGeneres’ appearance on The Bert Show leans into candid, heartfelt discussion on authenticity, social impact, and resilience through laughter. With help from sincere listener questions, Ellen shares behind-the-scenes insight into her TV milestones, personal growth, and the essence of her comedic brand. Her warm humor, humility, and drive to help audiences "feel good" resonate, making for an uplifting and thoughtful episode.

---

For more engaging interviews, entertainment, and daily doses of real talk and laughter, tune into The Bert Show on Q100.

Transcript

[Mrs. Claus]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Zoey, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.

[Santa]

Santa.

[Radio Host Burt]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Elf Drew Ski]

He's talking to you britches. I'm not.

[Mrs. Claus]

Of course he did.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Right, Santa, you know my elf, Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf. I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile. You can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[Mrs. Claus]

Hi, Mrs. Claus. Claus, much younger sister. And AT T mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch, so you can keep your old phone or give.

[Elf Drew Ski]

It as a gift.

[Mrs. Claus]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile, switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweetheart monthly bill.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

Credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 vice connection charge credits and imbalance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel financing agreement. 256gigs. $830. Eligible for it in a new line. $100 plus a month plan with auto check out 15 minutes or less per line.

[Blue Apron Advertiser]

Visit t mobile.com why does every recipe I try need 18 ingredients, including a jar of something paste I'll never use again but will sit in my fridge for nine months? I just want dinner in the oven fast. That's why I love Blue Apron's new one pan assemble and bake meals. They send you fresh ingredients that are already chopped. All you do is put it all together and bake. That's it. No chopping, no weird leftovers. Just delicious, easy to make meals. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more.

[Elf Drew Ski]

You're on the Burt show.

[Radio Host Burt]

It's the Burt show on all the hits. Q100 with Ellen DeGeneres comes on 5 o' clock on CBS 46.

[Melissa (Caller)]

You know, hey Ellen, it's Melissa and I here in Atlanta. I am an out lesbian on this radio station and I want to say thank you for coming out on that show because your show actually was what my family watched in order to learn how to accept me because about that time I was coming out. So I do want to say thank you for that. But I'm also curious, how much of an effort did it take or was it a struggle to to get the network to allow you to change the course of the storyline.

[Ellen DeGeneres]

You mean once I came out or just making that decision?

[Melissa (Caller)]

Well, I guess both.

[Ellen DeGeneres]

Coming out. Yeah. It was kind of tough because they didn't know what was going to happen with that. And, you know, it was a huge decision. But I kept making everyone. I mean, because I knew I was coming out, and I thought, if I'm coming out, the character should come out, because it's ridiculous. The character's kind of, you know, close to who I am. And it made sense because she never dated on the show, and it was just. It was never going to be about dating. I didn't really think it through. I didn't think, okay, where do we go after this? But I just thought, I'm the one taking the bigger chance here. You know, you can cancel me and have your company worth, you know, a billion dollars, and you can put somebody else on the air, but I may lose my career, Although I didn't think I would. I thought it was not going to be a big deal, and I was wrong. But it was, you know, it was hard to say, listen, I can't just ignore this now. The character doesn't just come out and go back to her life. We've got to somehow. It's not a funny thing at all. For most people, it's a really tough thing. But let's try to make it funny. Let's try to make it awkward and make this an interesting show that no one's seen before, the process of changing your world. But I. I was really proud of that last year, and I think when people look back on it, they will realize that it was. It was a good year. It just didn't do well.

[Jen (Caller)]

Hey, Ellen, this is Jen. And my question is kind of in how you handled that situation in comparison to real life. You were saying, like, the show was very serious and it was a very big deal, but you try to deal with it with humor. Is that kind of the same way in your everyday life, Are you dealing with difficult situations by making everybody laugh?

[Ellen DeGeneres]

Well, I think that that's, you know, my life is really good right now. So, you know, if I have anything to complain about, I try to shake myself or slap myself and say, you know, life is really, really good for me, so I don't ever really feel sorry for myself or complain. And I think it's really important to me. I mean, this is what I've always done. I'm a comedian, and what I love about this show is that people watch the show and they feel good Every single person that comes up to me says that the show just makes them happy. And if I can do that for an hour, which is what I used to do with stand up and you know that for an hour, you're forgetting whatever's going on in your life or in the world, which is a pretty scary place right now. And, you know, I like making people feel good. So, yeah, I think it's an important way for. It's how I try to. I'm sometimes better at getting other people to do it than myself, you know, but that's, that's how most of us are, I think.

[Radio Host Burt]

Talking to Ellen DeGeneres. Her show is on at 5:00 clock on CBS 46 here in Atlanta. We're going to talk to her about some of her guests coming up here in a couple minutes also.

[Melissa (Caller)]

Yeah. And I'm curious, when, you know, at the end of Ellen and then into Dori and Finding Nemo, I mean, everybody still knows you're the same Ellen as you always were, do you think you're more accepted now than you were 10 years ago or five years ago?

[Ellen DeGeneres]

Well, yeah, I think definitely now because there was just a time, a short time, where people didn't know if I was going to change or be the same person. And it took a while for me to convince people that I am the same person. And, you know, I think that, you know, I just, I'm exactly the same person. I think I'm smarter and stronger and I can look back on some things that I did and go, oh, that may not have been, you know, a smart move, but, you know, everybody makes mistakes, everybody learns something. And. But yeah, I definitely think I'm more accepted now just because I've grown a lot and I've learned a lot. And, and also the focus isn't on that anymore. The focus is that's just a part of who I am. It's not, you know, I'm back to just being able to be myself and be funny and be a comedian and make people feel good. And it's, you know, it's just kind of accepted as who I am.

[Radio Host Burt]

You know, Melissa brought up Finding Nemo, and I'm just curious because I have a 2 year old now and if you and I were at the bank together and he heard you talk, he obviously wouldn't know that you were Ellen DeGeneres, but he would obviously know. The voice is Dory.

[Ellen DeGeneres]

Yeah.

[Radio Host Burt]

Does that happen to you from time to time?

[Melissa (Caller)]

Yeah.

[Ellen DeGeneres]

People will bring their kids and say, you know, this is Dory. Which is really confusing to a kid because. And then I tell them to close their eyes and I start talking like Dory, which is pretty close to this voice anyway. But yeah, a lot of kids are huge fans because of Dory.

[Radio Host Burt]

No doubt. No doubt. Well, the television show is on here at 5:00 clock on CBS. 46.

[Jen (Caller)]

Ellen, why did you decide to go in the talk show format? What was kind of your reasoning behind wanting to try that?

[Ellen DeGeneres]

I'd always wanted to do that. I mean, I shouldn't say always, but, you know, I was offered a talk show when I was still doing Ellen, when I was doing that sitcom. And I just didn't think that I was ready to do it. I wanted to wait a while. And it was at this time like Rosie was getting one and I think Queen Latifah had one and like a lot of people had one. I thought, everybody's doing talk shows, I'm just going to wait. And then I, you know, kind of everything went away for a while and then I got another offer to do the Ellen show, which was the next sitcom, and that didn't work. And so I just thought, I'm just going to be myself, you know, and a talk show seems like a really great way to do that because I can think on my toes. I love talking to people. I love being spontaneous. I love music. We can have music on. And it just seemed like the exact right thing for me to do. And it wasn't like I had a lot of other offers or options anyway. So, you know, it just, it just was, it was just the thing that was in front of me and I said, well, this is what I'll do now. And it has been the exact right thing that, you know, I should have done.

[Radio Host Burt]

Well, I'm looking at these guests that are scheduled over the next couple of weeks and it's so obvious that people want to be on your show, like this week. Ashley Judd and Ruben Studdard, Terry Hatcher. Then you look at like over the next couple of weeks. There's Matthew Feck, Matthew fox and Matt LeBlanc. You got Gwen Stefani, Renee Zellweger. What do you think it is about your show that is making these celebrities want to stop by and hang with you?

[Ellen DeGeneres]

I don't know. I like it. I mean, you know, everybody that comes on, you know, says that, you know, of all the shows they do, they really look forward to this show and they have fun and I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. It's something that is. I think it's different about the show because everybody can just have a con and it's not the typical, you know, question and answer. And it's. And it's, you know, they know that I'm not going to do anything that's going to make them feel uncomfortable. And, you know, because this is work. I mean, as much as you can say, oh, they're just being themselves, that's not comfortable for most celebrities. They're better being characters. They're not as comfortable being themselves. So I want them to reveal something that we don't normally see, and I want them to feel comfortable doing that. So I just try to make it fun for everybody.

[Radio Host Burt]

Well, it's great. I mean, the show is really great. And we wish you great success with it. Again, it's Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen on at 5:00 on CBS 46. Am I missing anything here? Any other projects coming up I haven't touched on?

[Ellen DeGeneres]

No, that's all good. It's all fantastic.

[Radio Host Burt]

Good. Nice talking to you, Ellen DeGeneres.

[Ellen DeGeneres]

Hey, y', all too.

[Elf Drew Ski]

The average commute time in Atlanta is now over 30 minutes. Why listen to a morning show that makes it feel like an hour when you can listen to the Burt show on all the hits? Q100. You're on the vert show.

[Santa]

Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean in cold water? Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it. Even in cold butter. Yep. Chocolate ice cream. Sure thing. Barbecue sauce. Tide's got you covered. You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be tied.

[Mrs. Claus]

Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, lift with your legs, man.

[Santa]

Santa.

[Radio Host Burt]

Santa, did you get my letter?

[Elf Drew Ski]

He's talking to you, Bridges. I'm not.

[Mrs. Claus]

Of course he did.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?

[Mrs. Claus]

I'm Mrs. Claus much younger sister and at T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Or give it as a gift.

[Mrs. Claus]

And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.

[Elf Drew Ski]

Nice. My side of the tree is slipping.

[Santa]

Timber.

[Elf Drew Ski]

The holidays are better AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed and now T Mobile is available in US cellular stores with 24.

[T-Mobile Announcer]

Month bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 device connection charge credits and balance due if you pay off earlier. Cancel financing agreements. Gigs $830 eligible poured in a new line $100 plus a month plan with auto payments taxes fees required. Check out 15 minutes or less per line.

[Zinn Nicotine Pouch Announcer]

Visit t mobile.com what are you reaching for? If you're a smoker or vaper, you could be reaching for so much more with sin nicotine pouches. When you reach for Zinn, you're reaching for 10 satisfying varieties and two strengths for a smoke free experience that lets you lean in for chances to break free from your routine and a unique nationwide community. Whatever you're reaching for, reach for America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Find yours in wherever nicotine products are sold near you. Warning. This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.