Ellen DeGeneres sat out in support of her writers on Monday but has returned to work since.
DeGeneres addressed her audience members during Tuesday's taping by saying the following:
I've got to say this is a strange show for me to do. This is weird. Weird. It's a weird show. Channeling Johnny Carson all of a sudden. (Imitates Carson) 'Very Weird. Weird. Weird.'
Here's what the deal is. It's sweeps, which is a very important time in television. That's when you do your best shows, your funniest material, you pull out all the stops and you're doing everything you can because you want everybody watching. Now at this moment, we're in the middle of this strike. There's a writer's strike going on, and here in Los Angeles, it's a huge story. I don't know where you live, but it's a huge story in Los Angeles.
I want to say I love my writers. I love them. In honor of them today, I'm not going to do a monologue. I support them and hope that they get everything they're asking for. And I hope it works out soon. In the meantime, people have traveled across the country. They've made plans. They're here. I want to do everything I can to make your trip enjoyable and give you a show. Otherwise you'd just be wandering around and circling Bob Hope Drive.
