LOS ANGELES, June 23: Margaret Cho has shared that Ellen DeGeneres was “not nice” to her for much of her career, despite both starting out in comedy around the same time.

During a recent interview on The Kelly Mantle Show, Cho said that whenever she appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, DeGeneres acted like they were meeting for the first time.

“Ellen was really strange and unfriendly to me for most of my career,” Cho explained. “I opened for her back in the 1980s when she was already headlining comedy clubs, long before she became widely famous. But later, when I was on her talk show in the 2000s, she acted like we had never met.”

Cho added with a laugh, “I was thinking, ‘That’s weird.’ We go way back. It felt so odd.”

She also recounted an incident involving David Bowie, who was a guest on DeGeneres’ show. The night before Bowie’s appearance, Cho attended his concert dressed in what she described as a “Chinese emperor outfit.” She later found out that Bowie complimented her outfit during the show, but those remarks were cut from the broadcast.

“A producer, who is a good friend of mine, called to say, ‘I can’t believe this, but they cut out Bowie’s compliments about your outfit,’” Cho recalled. “‘But you should know he was really impressed and kept talking about it.’”

While Cho acknowledged that the cut might have been due to time constraints, she said she still took it personally.

The Hollywood Reporter has contacted DeGeneres’ representatives for comment.

Before The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended with its 19th season in 2022, the show faced controversy, including personal criticisms and a BuzzFeed News report detailing allegations of a toxic work environment. This led to an internal investigation by WarnerMedia and the dismissal of some executives.

DeGeneres addressed the claims at the start of the show’s 18th season, apologizing to those affected and saying she took the matter seriously.

Regarding her decision to end the show, DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, “As a creative person, you always need a challenge. This show was fun and great, but it just wasn’t challenging anymore.”

Cho has also spoken about the toxic workplace allegations, stating in a 2020 podcast, “I think she’s definitely intimidating. I’m still scared of Ellen. I can’t imagine what it’s like to work for her.”