Melania Trump, Queen Elizabeth II and Jennifer Lopez are just some of the women that are more admired than Ellen DeGeneres according to a new poll, as the TV host returned to the air after a polemic-filled summer.
DeGeneres is ranked 20th amongst the "most admired women" category in this year's compilation of YouGov's "World's most admired" poll.
The host had a turbulent summer as she faced toxic workplace allegations and an internal investigation. The 62-year-old comedian also experienced discontent on her return to the screen as not all fans were pleased with her televised apology.
Melania Trump ranks one place above DeGeneres in 19th place. New entrants to the ranking include environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, singers Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Shakira, and actress Scarlett Johansson.
According to the poll, Michelle Obama and the former president of the United States, her husband Barack Obama, are the most admired woman and man in the world.
After the former first lady, actress Angelina Jolie and Queen Elizabeth II are the world's second and third most admired women in the world.
In the United States, DeGeneres fared better in the poll, ranking 8th. She is more admired than singer Taylor Swift or congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, but less admired than Queen Elizabeth II, Melania Trump or the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The results for the poll are calculated from the combination of responses to two questions, YouGov states: whether a respondent admires the figure at all and then whether they are the figure the respondent admires the most.
This year's study is the company's largest-ever, it said, as it surveyed more than 45,000 people in 42 countries and territories to compile the list.
What is behind Ellen DeGeneres' show controversy?
In July, Buzzfeed published a report about an alleged toxic work environment on the presenter's Emmy Award-winning show.
The article, which included anonymous testimony from current and former employees from the show, accused the executive producers of harassment, as well as saying that there was an atmosphere with racist comments and micro-aggressions behind the scenes of the show.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show became the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia, the conglomerate which owns the show's distributor Warner Bros. Television. Three producers were let go from the show.
DeGeneres returned to the air on September 21, issuing an apology in her main monologue. She promised that Season 18 would be the start of a "new chapter" and addressed reports of her own cruel behavior to staff.
"There were also articles in the press and on social media that said I am not who I appear to be on TV because I became known as the 'be kind' lady. And here's how that happened," she said.
"The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things," DeGeneres explained.
Some of the celebrities scheduled to appear on the upcoming season of the show are Tiffany Haddish, Kerry Washington and Orlando Bloom.
