Ellen DeGeneres, the comedian and former daytime talk show host who left the United States for the British countryside in late 2024, is the subject of fresh attention after reports that she and her wife Portia de Rossi are preparing to return to the United States and have put one of their U.K. properties on the market. The developments mark a reversal from the public narrative that accompanied their move to England, when DeGeneres was widely reported to have said she would not return to America while the current U.S. political climate persisted.
DeGeneres and de Rossi relocated to the Cotswolds region in the autumn of 2024, a move that followed the re-election of Donald Trump and that the pair framed as a long-term change of residence. At the time, outlets quoted friends and sources close to the couple who said the two intended to remain in the U.K. and that DeGeneres had been critical of the direction of politics in the United States. The relocation also followed a public period of controversy for DeGeneres stemming from allegations of mistreatment of staff during the final seasons of her long-running show, an episode that she and others described as painful and that preceded her reduced public profile.
The most recent reports that DeGeneres may be returning home center on the listing of a sprawling Cotswolds estate associated with the couple. Real estate listings and reporting indicate that the property, described as a renovated farmhouse set on dozens of acres, was purchased earlier in 2024 and subsequently renovated in an extensive programme of work. Sources close to the listing say the estate was put on the market after the pair moved to another nearby property, and industry reporting places the asking price at roughly 22.5 million pounds, or about 30 million dollars. The Wall Street Journal and other property outlets have catalogued the scale of the renovation and the speed with which the work was carried out.
Coverage in tabloid and lifestyle outlets has tied the property move to a broader narrative that DeGeneres and de Rossi may be reconsidering the permanence of their life in Britain. Tyla, the outlet that first framed recent headlines around DeGeneres as a “returning” celebrity, reported that the couple have made one of their UK properties available for sale and noted the contrast between earlier statements about fleeing the United States and these new listings. Tyla and other popular digital outlets have also pointed to social media commentary and public reaction as evidence that fans and onlookers see the listing as a sign that the couple may be preparing to spend more time in the United States again.
Mainstream outlets with direct reporting on the couple’s movements have provided a more measured account. People magazine and The Guardian have confirmed that DeGeneres and de Rossi did move to the United Kingdom in 2024 and that they completed significant property transactions in both the U.K. and the United States as part of a wider reshaping of their property portfolio. Those reports also cited public appearances and interviews in which DeGeneres discussed reasons for relocating, including worries about the U.S. political atmosphere and commentary about quality of life in Britain. The Guardian published an account of DeGeneres speaking in public about her move, noting comments that suggested the couple found aspects of life in Britain appealing while also making clear she had not ruled out future professional projects.
The context for the move and for any possible return is complex. DeGeneres’s profile was altered in recent years by allegations from former employees about the workplace environment on her eponymous television show. Those reports prompted internal reviews and public apologies and coincided with a changing trajectory in DeGeneres’s public career, which included the end of her long-running daytime programme in 2022 and subsequent work in other formats, such as stand-up and occasional appearances. The couple’s real estate activity has been extensive; they sold major California holdings and acquired the U.K. farm earlier in 2024, a sequence of transactions that was reported by multiple outlets and that reflected a clear reorientation of where they intended to live and spend their time.
Beyond lifestyle and property considerations, some public speculation has linked DeGeneres’s decisions to broader legal and cultural stories in the United States. Social media chatter and commentary in some corners of the celebrity press have invoked ongoing high-profile trials and controversies involving other figures in entertainment when discussing whether DeGeneres might feel safe or welcome to return to the United States. Those suggestions remain speculative and have not been confirmed by DeGeneres or her representatives. Reporting that anchors these rumours in attributable facts notes that fans and social media users have linked timelines but that such connections are conjectural, reflecting audience reaction rather than verified motive. Responsible coverage frames those links as conjecture and treats them as part of the public conversation rather than as established fact.
The sequence of events that led to the property being listed has generated attention inside the U.K. property market as well as among American outlets that track celebrity real estate. Sources tracking luxury home listings said the couple purchased the farm in spring 2024 and embarked on a rapid renovation, involving scores of workers and significant structural and aesthetic changes, before moving in. Industry reporting described the scale and ambition of the renovation and noted that the couple subsequently relocated to a second, more contemporary estate nearby that better suited de Rossi’s equestrian interests. That second move left the renovated farmhouse available to the market. Real estate professionals quoted in coverage said that the farm’s features, including multiple outbuildings and leisure facilities, make it one of the most notable country listings in the region.
DeGeneres’s public statements about the move have been cautious and, at times, personal. In public remarks reported by the Guardian earlier this year, she said aspects of life in Britain appealed to her and that she and de Rossi arrived in the country at a time of political transition in the United States. Those remarks were notable for their candour about political and personal concerns and for her willingness to speak about quality-of-life considerations, including references to animal welfare and community, as part of the decision to relocate. At the same time, she has signalled ambivalence about resurrecting some aspects of her former television career in Britain, saying she had not decided whether to pursue a new show and that she remained open to other creative projects.
As news organisations and property outlets have tracked the listing, local reports have also flagged practical issues connected to the estate. Coverage in some outlets cited complaints about flooding affecting parts of the property, and that detail has been picked up in wider reporting as an example of the logistical challenges inherent in owning and maintaining large rural holdings. Those reports have been framed in property coverage in the same way as any technical detail about a large estate, rather than as evidence of deeper personal motives for leaving or returning to a country.
Public reaction to the reports has been mixed. Social media users posted a range of responses, from bemusement to criticism, while fans who have followed DeGeneres’s career offered views that reflected both sympathy and scrutiny. Some commentators interpreted the listing as a reasonable real estate decision, pointing out that high-net-worth individuals frequently buy and sell properties as lifestyles and priorities evolve. Others viewed it as a more symbolic move, given DeGeneres’s earlier public statements about leaving the United States. The variety of responses highlights how celebrity personal life stories become a site for public debate about broader cultural and political questions, even when the individuals involved do not publicly discuss their private motives in detail.
At present, neither DeGeneres nor de Rossi has issued a detailed public statement confirming plans to return to the United States long term. Representatives for the couple did not immediately provide comment to reporters at the time of initial listings and press accounts. Professional real estate sources and estate agents involved in marketing the property offered factual descriptions of the estate and its market positioning, but they did not comment on the couple’s personal intentions beyond confirming the listing. The absence of a direct, attributable statement from DeGeneres leaves room for speculation, and responsible reporting limits itself to verifiable transactions and documented public remarks.
The unfolding story of Ellen DeGeneres’s property sales and reported plans is a reminder of the gap that often exists between celebrity narrative and business reality. High-profile moves, public controversies and property listings are all measurable events, and they will continue to be reported and scrutinised. What remains unsettled is whether a listing amounts to a decision to return to the United States or whether it reflects a routine recalibration of property holdings and lifestyle preferences. For now, DeGeneres’s public comments, the property transactions that are on record and reporting from real estate specialists form the foundation of what is verifiable. Observers seeking a definitive account will need either a direct public statement from DeGeneres or other contemporaneous confirmation from her representatives.
Until such confirmation arrives, the facts that can be established are straightforward. DeGeneres and de Rossi relocated to the United Kingdom in late 2024; they purchased and renovated a sizeable Cotswolds estate; that estate has been listed for sale in recent weeks with a multi-million pound asking price; and public and industry reporting has documented both the move and the sale. Those points form the basis of the current narrative, while questions about motive and future plans remain, for now, matters of public speculation and audience interpretation.
