Ellen DeGeneres’ resident DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss has been named a co-executive producer at the daytime talk show, two individuals familiar with the decision told Variety.
The news was announced during a highly emotional address from DeGeneres to her “Ellen Show” staff on Monday, where she confronted months of reports of a toxic work environment and racism.
The host expressed a desire to “come back strong” in the forthcoming 18th season of her syndicated franchise, a Warner Bros. TV institution, with a renewed commitment to diversity. DeGeneres said Boss had already been helpful in that measure. The promotion will give the emcee more influence in both programming and the working culture, one insider added.
Less than a week ago, Boss told UsWeekly that “obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until there’s a time where we can address more publicly.”
A July report from BuzzFeed contained a range of racist accusations about behavior toward staffers of color. On the Monday call, DeGeneres said the reports left her heartbroken. As Variety exclusively reported, DeGeneres also announced that a trio of top producers who had been accused of sexual misconduct were fired.
Executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman were all ousted following damning allegations raised in recent reports by Buzzfeed and Variety. “Ellen” veterans Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt will remain at the show as executive producers alongside host DeGeneres. Connelly, Lassner and Westervelt have been with the show since its inception in 2003.
Boss also appears on the variety series “Ellen’s Game of Games” alongside DeGeneres, and hosts the series ‘Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” with wife Allison Holker for Disney Plus. Also credited as a choreographer and longtime dancer, Boss’ film credits include “Blades of Glory,” “Hairspray,” and “Magic Mike XXL.”
Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.