The actor is most known for functioning first as the main DJ at The Ellen DeGeneres Show and then at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Okungbowa was schooled in Nigeria and London and is of Nigerian origin. He graduated from London with a degree in theater.
He arrived in the country in 1992 to pursue postgraduate studies in New York City, and in 1998 he moved to Los Angeles. Okungbowa played the DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show from the beginning of season three in 2006 to the finale, when he quit pursuing his career as an actor.
At the start of season four, Jon Abrahams took his position. He had rare relief performances in 2007, and for the sixth season, which started on September 8, 2008, he returned as a full-time DJ. The 2004 Grammy Awards were again DJ’d by Okungbowa.
After working for nearly a decade, the famous DJ left the show without stating any reasons. But later, through an Instagram post, he revealed why he left the “toxic environment.” Tony spoke candidly about his appearance on Ellen’s program and used the occasion to express his support for her staff members, who had come forward with allegations of racism, misogyny, inappropriate conduct, homophobia, and harassment.
Tony Opens Up
Despite DeGeneres’ efforts to mitigate the consequences with an apology and glowing recommendations from her celebrity pals, new material keeps surfacing that confirms the unfavorable working condition of the morning talk show.
As an example? The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s former DJ, DJ Tony, spoke candidly about his time there in August 2020. Naturally, that was not a positive assessment. To find out what he said, continue reading.
Even though the allegations concern the maltreatment of staff, not famous visitors, a surprising development saw stars, notably Kevin Hart, Katy Perry, and Ellen DeGeneres‘ wife, Portia De Rossi, find a reason to defend the comic.
Former DJ Tony Okungbowa, one of the former employees who opened up about their time working on the program, backed up his coworkers’ assertions about the toxicity in the workplace in an Instagram post. Although Okungbowa allegedly worked in a stressful environment, he didn’t just leave the program. We know the actual cause of his departure.
Why did Tony Leave the Ellen Show?
Tony Okungbowa’s main motivation for quitting The Ellen DeGeneres Show was his desire to pursue his acting profession further. He wished to work on more original-storyline movies and television series.
Stephen “tWitch” Boss took Tony’s position on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2014, the actor made a return by appearing in guest roles. Yes, you are no longer the in-house DJ. Reports began to circulate that improper behavior occurred behind closed doors on the Ellen set.
Ellen DeGeneres
Tony was previously engaged in his acting profession and engaged in a few scripts prior to participating in the talk show. He had certainly kept himself occupied. He changed the direction of his profession when he joined the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
It was hardly a catastrophe for Tony immediately after quitting the talk show. He fared really well in the acting world and has since kept up the great work. Nevertheless, he appreciated the chance to collaborate with Ellen DeGeneres.
Tony had an egalitarian and appropriate organizational climate in mind as the program developed. More specifically, the actor worked well over 1600 sessions as the DJ on Ellen’s show.
Aftermath
It was claimed that discrimination, anxiety, and bullying permeated the workplace. The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s office, according to Tony Okungbowa, was essentially poison. Perhaps other tv show employees who made comparable accusations were backed by the star.
The show’s producers used to torture the ex-members. However, Tony Okungbowa’s resignation was not primarily due to the hostile atmosphere at the set. He had another professional route in mind, one that involved acting. Ellen DeGeneres expressed regret to her coworkers on toxic workplace challenges. She regretted finding out that her tv show of the same name was not a haven of bliss.
Tony Okungbowa
Stephen Boss joined the talk show replacing Tony, although he hasn’t commented on the controversy. Given that DeGeneres still seems to be Boss’ Boss, it is understandable that he would not feel comfortable sharing his thoughts publicly if doing so might result in his termination, particularly if he has favorable remarks to make. Okungbowa is evidence that your profession can endure even beyond Ellen, regardless if he does quit the program.
