Alleged former staffer claims Ellen DeGeneres treated household workers 'like they were nothing'

A person claiming to be a former household staffer for Ellen has come forward about her experience working for the talk show host. Photo / Getty Images

Ellen DeGeneres has been accused of treating her household staff unfairly.

The new claims reported by The Daily Mail add to the deluge of controversy the talk show is facing, including accusations of a "toxic" workplace environment. An unnamed source told the publication working for Ellen was "like a boot camp."

"She treated you like you were nothing," the source claimed and alleged she "takes pleasure" in letting staff go.

"I was told that she had a very high turnover and that I should stay under the radar as much as possible, avoid as much direct contact with Ellen as possible. Working there was described as being more like a boot camp," the source told the news outlet. "Ellen was the worst person that I've ever met in my life."

"I was always stressed out and on the verge of tears. I remember going home sometimes thinking I just hated my life," they added. The person says they were let go after a few months but did not disclose why.

Among the former staffer's claims included allegations the talk show host would "lay traps" across her house to make sure it was thoroughly cleaned, and that she gave her staff a daily list of performance complaints.

The source said they were not surprised about Ellen's at home behaviour. "My belief is that someone's real personality comes out at home," they added. "So after everything that has been said about her at work, you can imagine how terrible Ellen is going to be at home when her guard is down."

DeGeneres is set to address viewers when her talk show comes back for a new season on September 21 in the US.

"I can't wait to get back to work and back to our studio. And yes, we're gonna talk about it," a statement from DeGeneres read.