The reason why Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi snubbed Australia for England… as their multi-million-pound Cotswolds home is hit by flooding just weeks after moving in

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi recently decided to move California to the English countryside instead of the actress’ home country, Australia.

The couple were reportedly willing to pay £2.5 million more than the asking price for their new property in the Cotswolds, which includes a helipad and swimming pool.

And now the reason why Ellen decided to move to Britain instead of Down Under has been revealed.

According to New ideathe 66-year-old comedian moved to England to focus on her comedy career.

“Ellen wants to continue her comedy work, and there is a huge scene in Britain,” a source told the publication.

‘Sitting back and chilling on a beach in Australia is for when she’s about to retire and Ellen isn’t here yet.’

US media reported last month that Ellen and Portia, who donated money to Kamala Harris’ doomed election campaign, decided to ‘disappear’ from the US after Donald Trump’s victory, apparently vowing never to return.

They are said to be delighted with their new property, which was originally built as a farmhouse and converted 15 years ago into a modern luxury home with six bedrooms and four bathrooms.

However, their new multi-million pound home in the Cotswolds was hit by flooding shortly after they moved in.

Dramatic footage in late November showed the area around their 43-acre home being inundated by floodwaters after being lashed by days of heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph in Storm Bert.

Roads remained impassable under five feet of water after a tributary of the River Thames next to their property broke its banks, trapping locals in their homes.

Their new home includes a gym, games rooms and separate offices with a one-bedroom cottage and five-bay garage on site.

But it is still said to have retained its old-world charm, with secluded barns connected to the main house via glass corridors.

A source in the Cotswolds said: ‘It really is a beautiful house. It’s so quintessentially English that they, as Americans, have fallen in love with, even though they can forget the glamorous nightlife and weather of Southern California.

According to New Idea, Ellen moved to England to focus on her career after going off air after her show was accused of being quite toxic and she was labeled ‘mean’.

‘The area itself is very quiet – some might even say boring, as there isn’t much to do – especially in the colder months, but there are lots of celebrities in the area.’

Other big names with homes in the Cotswolds include David and Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Patrick Stewart, Elizabeth Hurley and Damien Hirst.

Ellen’s career was tarnished by claims that she fostered a toxic workplace on the set of her eponymous daytime talk show, the final episode of which aired on May 26, 2022.

She delved into her persona non grata status in her stand-up special For Your Approval, which was released on Netflix at the end of September.

The comedian joked that she had been “kicked out of show business” in the special, which featured material about how she has been spending her time since her TV show ended.