Long-running daily chat show The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been dumped from its daytime time slot on the Nine Network amid ongoing issues and allegations of a “toxic” environment.

Television industry website tvblackbox.com.au reported on Monday the show, which had been running for 17 seasons, would be replaced by re-runs from 2004 to 2012 of Desperate Housewives.

In a statement to tvblackbox, Nine said the show would be rested amid continuing talks between the network and Warner Bros regarding the new season which begins next month.

“We are resting Ellen repeats on Nine and have replaced with Desperate Housewives,” the statement read.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been plagued by allegations of misconduct, bullying and inappropriate behaviour in recent months.

On August 18, it overhauled its senior production team following accusations of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct and other problems in the work environment at the long-running daytime talk show.

Three senior producers – executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman – have been ousted from the Warner Bros-distributed syndicated strip following damning allegations raised in recent reports by Buzzfeed and Variety.

Ellen veterans Mary Connelly, Andy Lassner and Derek Westervelt will remain at the show as executive producers alongside host DeGeneres. Connelly, Lassner and Westervelt have been with the show since its inception in 2003.

A Warner Bros spokeswoman confirmed Glavin, Leman and Norman had “parted ways” with the show.

In late July, crew and staff received a memo from Telepictures, the show’s producer, as well as distributor, Warner Bros Television, indicating they had engaged WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party to investigate the numerous workplace concerns.

The news was delivered to Ellen staffers late that Monday afternoon during a staff meeting in which DeGeneres spoke via a video conference call.

DeGeneres, 62, was emotional and apologetic as she addressed more than 200 staffers at the time.

According to multiple sources, DeGeneres told the staff she was “not perfect” and realised that in the effort for the show to run as a “well-oiled machine”, sometimes leaders were not as sensitive to “human beings” as they should have been.

She said reading disturbing allegations about the atmosphere on the show was “heartbreaking”.

High profile friends defend Ellen

Not everyone is aboard the cancel Ellen train, with some high profile friends coming to her defence.

Sofia Vergara was quick to respond to viewer criticism last week, after a clip in which Ellen appears to make fun of Vergara’s grasp of the English language went viral.

“Two comedians having fun with each other to entertain,” Vergara shared on Twitter.

“I was never a victim guys, I was always in on the joke.”

Kevin Hart has also spoken up in defence of the talk show host, claiming she is one of the “most amazing people” he knows.