Amid Backlash for Ellen Degeneres, YouTuber NikkieTutorials Opened up More About Her Experience on the Show; ‘Never Meet Your Idols’
Popular YouTuber NikkieTutorials revealed that she was transgender in a video on Jan. 13. Her coming out video garnered 34 million views and she received support from many celebrities and fans. She then went on The Ellen DeGeneres show afterward in her only TV interview post-announcement. But since then, Nikkie de Jager — NikkieTutorials’ real name — spoke more freely about her negative experience on DeGeneres’ show. This comes at a time when the talk show host is receiving a lot of backlash for her treatment of her employees.
YouTuber NikkieTutorials went on Ellen DeGeneres’ show to talk about her coming out
On Jan. 22, de Jager went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss her coming out, which made big waves in the international spotlight. She also discussed the fact that the reason for it was due to someone wanting to blackmail the YouTuber. So she was able to get ahead of any “outing” that they could have done.
With Dutch publication &C on April 14, de Jager spoke more about her experience coming out and if she regrets not doing it sooner.
“My biggest fear was that it would no longer be about my work, but about who I am. No longer about makeup, but about what used to hang between my legs,” de Jager said about why she didn’t come out sooner. “Fortunately, that turns out not to be the case. But I do get more personal questions than before, I still have to find a balance in that.’
Since then, de Jager has been open about her unpleasant experience with DeGeneres
In that same interview, de Jager also talked candidly about her negative experience on DeGeneres’ show. E! News reported that de Jager expected a warmer welcome than she received when she arrived on set; she described being greeted by “an angry intern who was a bit overworked.” De Jager also commented on how she wasn’t allowed to use a private bathroom.
“Every guest at Ellen’s had a private toilet, but I didn’t. I was not allowed to use the nearest toilet, because it was reserved for the Jonas Brothers,” de Jager described, since the band was on the same episode as de Jager. “Why do they get a private toilet, I thought. But in the end my item had eight million views afterwards and theirs two million, ha!’
In addition, de Jager said that overall the show didn’t touch on what she had expected it to. While she said it was “a great summary for people who didn’t know” the YouTuber, it left a lot to be desired with her fans. People who knew her work and story — which is a lot considering her 13.3 million subscribers — “expected more news.” She did say she was happy with the fact that she can now say she had that experience of being on Ellen, though.
Plus, that’s not the first time de Jager spoke about being on The Ellen DeGeneres show. In March, BuzzFeed News reported that de Jager went on the Dutch television show, De Wereld Draait Door, and talked about how DeGeneres was “less-than-kind.”
“It’s really nice that you came over and said hello to me… She didn’t,” de Jager told the host Matthijs van Nieuwkerk.
DeGeneres is receiving a lot of negative attention as reports of bad behavior toward employees came out recently
As stated previously, DeGeneres is going through a bit of negative backlash right now, as well. Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shut down any production on TV and movie sets, DeGeneres has been airing her show from home. This is now common among a lot of talk shows like The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. But while Kimmel is paying his employees their “full rates,” DeGeneres’ staff is receiving hefty wage cuts and more, according to Variety.
Variety reports that 30 people who make up DeGeneres’ “core stage crew” had “no written communication about the status of their working hours, pay, or inquiries about their mental and physical health from producers for over a month.” All crew was told they’d probably receive 60 percent reduced pay even though she’s airing new episodes. DeGeneres’ at-home show employs only 4 crew members. Not to mention, the new at-home production also hired Key Code Media to help produce episodes when current employees “with the same skills sit idle.”
Interestingly, when DeGeneres returned on April 7 with a new episode, she said she had wanted to start these new episodes “as soon as possible” for her crew. “I love them, I miss them, the best thing I can do to support them is to keep the show on the air.”
Going back to de Jager, when &C asked her who she’d love to meet next, her experience might have tainted all future wishes in that department. “Adele. Although after Ellen I figured, don’t meet your idols.’
