However, it seems the couple treated their U.K. stay more as an extended getaway rather than a permanent relocation. As reported by the Daily Mail on November 29, DeGeneres and de Rossi faced several challenges adapting to life across the pond. “She’s been telling friends they’re returning soon because they miss them and can’t handle the winters; plus, Portia is eager to act again,” a source revealed. While the British climate is indeed chillier than California’s, DeGeneres might find her homecoming a frosty affair.

News of DeGeneres’ anticipated return sparked a wave of online criticism, bruising her pride. One X user remarked, “Really wished she wouldn’t,” while another chimed in, “Nooooo!! We don’t want them,” referencing DeGeneres and her wife. Others humorously suggested that Trump should prevent her re-entry, and someone even queried about a petition to keep her in the U.K. Reports have indicated that DeGeneres’ struggles aren’t limited to fan disapproval.

Though Ellen DeGeneres underwent significant changes during her time in the U.K., it appears she didn’t quite win over the locals. Initially, the narrative was that the couple wanted to return to reconnect with friends, but alternative accounts suggest deeper issues. “She’s telling friends back home, ‘People here never warmed to us,’ but she knows the neighbors don’t want her nearby,” an insider told Radar on December 2. Allegedly, DeGeneres had been in conflict with her Cotswolds neighbors due to extensive renovations on her property, causing neighborhood tension. “She secretly thinks, ‘It’s impossible to feel settled when everyone is annoyed at you,'” the source added.

Even though Ellen DeGeneres underwent a jarring transformation after moving to the U.K., it turns out that she didn’t change enough to endear herself to neighbors. Initially, the narrative was that DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi wanted to move home to reunite with friends, but other sources have said there were other reasons. “She is telling friends back home, ‘People here never warmed to us,’ but really she knows the neighbors don’t want her around,” an insider told Radar on December 2, a few days after news of DeGeneres’ pending return was published. The comedian had reportedly been feuding with her Cotswolds neighbors, as DeGeneres’ property had undergone a litany of structural changes that frustrated people in the neighborhood. “She is secretly thinking, ‘It’s impossible to feel settled when everyone is annoyed at you,’” the insider added.

Prior to her blow-up with the neighbors, DeGeneres had likely wanted to avoid a return to the U.S., as she was embroiled in yet another scandal in August. An anonymous insider spoke about the toxic work environment on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and how the TV host’s relationship issues with de Rossi made the atmosphere even more tense. On top of that, the source said DeGeneres showed prejudice against certain employees. “We had a feeling she really didn’t like guys,” they told the Daily Mail at the time.

A month earlier, another source claimed that the “Ellen” star was simply staying in the U.K. in hopes that her reputation would make a full recovery on the heels of her multiple scandals. “Her goal has always been to make a comeback. She’s just been waiting for enough time to pass,” the source told the National Enquirer in September.