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.