Fans of Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, may have thought that the couple had found their new forever home when they fled the buzzing Hollywood hills for the peace of the English countryside, when they ditched California for the Cotswolds. However, it seems that things might have changed, as there are signs that the former talk show host may be going home.
The 67-year-old has reportedly purchased a new home in Montecito, California, the celebrity-filled neighbourhood where they lived for years alongside the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and, of course, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
© InstagramAccording to Realtor, Ellen has closed a deal on a new mansion in the area for $27.4 million USD, which is more than five times as much money as they got for selling their bungalow in the same neighbourhood for $5.2 million in March last year.
The couple's English farmhouse, which was believed to be their primary residence on this side of the Atlantic, was listed for $30 million last year, though the comedian shared with the Wall Street Journal that this was only because they felt that they needed more space for their animals. They then moved to a more modern estate, dubbed the 'Kitesbridge Farm', in Oxfordshire.
Speaking to the publication, Ellen shared: "When we decided to live here full time, we knew that Portia couldn’t live without her horses. We needed a home that had a horse facility and pastures for them."
As of January 2026, it is still believed that they own this more modern estate in the Cotswolds,, but, with the purchase of a gargantuan property in the place they called home for so long, it seems that there's a chance that Hollywood's most notorious home hopper may not keep her main residence in the UK.
Ellen and Portia's move to the UK
Initially, the pair had only intended to spend a few months of the year in the UK, perhaps as a more rural retreat from the celebrity haven that is Montecito. However, Ellen explained in July 2025 that it was President Donald Trump's 2024 election win that prompted them to make a more permanent move.
Speaking to broadcaster Richard Bacon at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, she said: "We got here the day before the election. We woke up with lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in'. And we're like, 'We're staying here'."
© InstagramShe further gushed to her UK audience about how much she loves the country, adding: "It’s absolutely beautiful. We’re just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture, everything you see is charming and it’s just a simpler way of life. It’s clean. Everything here is just better, the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here."
The Cotswolds has become the "British Beverly Hills," according to Rachel Avery, HELLO!'s Homes Editor, who spoke to us more about the region's skyrocketing popularity. "A-listers are snapping up countryside residences at a rapid rate in the past few years. It is appealing due to its gorgeous scenic landscape of rolling hills, quaint pubs and shops and also the close proximity to London. Beyonce and Jay-Z have even flown in to tour a country pad, certainly putting the Cotswolds on the map!"
