Ellen DeGeneres 'already bored' as her talk show gets suspended over coronavirus concerns

Los Angeles, March 15 (IANS): Comedian-host Ellen DeGeneres says she is "already bored" after her hit TV talk show halted production due to coronavirus concerns.

Earlier this week, bosses at The Ellen DeGeneres Show made the decision to tape without live audiences, but on Friday the star announced the decision had been made to suspend production until April, web reports said.

Sharing the news on Twitter, DeGeneres wrote: "Hey there. Me again. So, after some more thought, we have decided to suspend production completely until March 30th. We just want to take every precaution to ensure that we do our part to keep everyone healthy."

She added: "I love you guys, and can't wait to come back. I'm already bored."

Numerous TV talk shows have either been shut down or will record without a live studio audience due to the outbreak, which has seen more than 145,000 cases of the illness registered, resulting in more than 5,400 deaths since it began in December.

It was also announced on Friday that Sharon Osbourne's panel show, The Talk, would stop filming, with a statement on Twitter reading: "In light of the current events @TheTalkCBS has decided to suspend production for now."

"We hope to be back LIVE soon. In the meantime, enjoy some of our favourite episodes starting Mon., 3/16. We can still laugh and share moments. We're in this together."

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Wendy Williams Show will also go dark from Friday, as the Governor and Major of the Big Apple introduce restrictions on public gatherings, venues and events.