Ellen show producer Andy Lassner speaks out amid controversy: ‘It’s been rough’

Lassner has been an executive producer on the show since 2003

Ellen DeGeneres at the 62nd Grammy Awards on 26 January 2020, in Los Angeles. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

A longtime producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show has spoken out about the past “rough” couple of months for the programme.

Andy Lassner, who has been an executive producer on the show since its beginnings in 2003, shared his impressions in an Instagram video over the weekend.

“Oh, look who it is. If it isn’t Andy Lassner,” he said. “Well, yes it is. Your eyes do not deceive you.”

“I’m back. I’ve been away for a little bit, dealing with — you know, some stuff. You may have read about it.”

He then acknowledged that “it’s been a couple of rough months”.

“But it’s when we go through these things, I guess, that we learn the most about ourselves, and maybe even [experience] some growth,” he added.

“But to tell you it hasn’t been rough would be a lie, and I’ve always been honest with you. So, it’s been rough. But I’m back.”

Lassner told fans he would speak to them soon, ending in part with: “I love you guys. I miss you.”

Earlier in August, it was announced by Variety that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would remove three producers.

The news came amid allegations and an internal review into claims that the programme was a toxic work environment.

DeGeneres isn’t personally a part of the probe, a source previously told NBC News.

The host apologised and expressed regret over the situation in a memo to staff in July, stating in part, according to Variety: “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.

“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry.”