Want to know why did Tony Okungbowa leave Ellen DeGeneres Show? It was very sudden and eventually unexpected. He used to serve as the resident DJ of the show, providing musical accompaniment. Before getting into further details about Tony’s departure, let’s have a look at his prominence.
Starting from the basics, Tony Okungbowa is not just a DJ but also an actor and film producer. Originally known as Anthony Victor Okungbowa, he hails from London.
When it comes to Tony’s works, some of the notable ones are- Mother of George, Restless City, Echo Park, The Bold and the Beautiful, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ballers, etc.
Are you not watching Tony Okungbowa in the CBS sitcom, Bob Hearts Abishola? He is seen portraying the leading character of Kofo. Well, Tony also provided his voice for Ranger, in The Wild Thornberrys Movie, released back in 2002.
Well, Tony joined Ellen DeGeneres Show, back in 2003. He continued his service as the DJ till the end of 2006. Despite that, he made a comeback after a couple of years and did for some more years.
Fans kept wondering the reason why Tony Okungbowa left the long-running Ellen show. If you are looking for this, here you go!
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Reason Behind Tony Okungbowa Leaving Ellen DeGeneres Show Revealed
The major reason behind Tony Okungbowa leaving Ellen DeGeneres Show was he wanted to explore more in his acting career. He wanted to do more films and shows, having unique plots and storylines.
In Ellen DeGeneres Show, Tony got replaced by Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss. The actor made a comeback in 2014, making guest appearances. Yes, no more as the resident DJ.
Well, rumors started swirling that there was misconduct that took place off-screen on the set of Ellen’s show.
It was reported that the working environment was full of “racism, fear, and intimidation.” Tony Okungbowa claimed that the workplace at Ellen DeGeneres Show was pretty much “toxic.” The actor even supported similar claims from other staff members of the talk show. The former members used to be harassed by the executives of the show.
However, the toxic working environment was not the significant reason behind Tony Okungbowa’s departure. He had a different career path in his mind and that was all about acting.
Before joining the talk show, Tony was already involved in his acting career and working on a couple of screenplays. He undoubtedly maintained a busy schedule. Joining Ellen DeGeneres Show made him divert his career path to a different track. It was a change.
Right after leaving the talk show, it was not a failure for Tony. He did excel in the acting field and has been continuing to do wonders. Still, he shared his gratefulness for getting the opportunity to work with Ellen DeGeneres.
Tony wanted to create an inclusive and proper working environment in thought as the show moved forward. To be more precise, the actor served as the DJ at Ellen’s show for more than 1600 episodes.
Concerning environmental issues, Ellen DeGeneres apologized to her staff members for the same. She felt bad after learning that her self-titled talk show was not a “place of happiness.”
Best Wishes to Tony Okungbowa for the upcoming days of his career. You may follow the former in-house DJ of Ellen DeGeneres Show, on his Instagram account, for more updates.
Even though it felt bad initially without knowing the reason, now it’s good to know that Tony’s move was for a good purpose. We are eagerly waiting for the release of Tony Okungbowa’s next work. We wonder what it is going to be!
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