'Grey's Anatomy's' Ellen Pompeo Wants the Show to End— Here's Why

Ellen Pompeo has been part of the Grey's Anatomy family since its inception in 2005, but the actor has said she wants the medical drama to end.

Now in its 18th season, the show, which was created by Shonda Rhimes, is the longest-running medical drama on American television, which is an impressive feat for a program of its nature.

Pompeo not only stars in the show but she is also a producer and has directed two episodes, "Be Still, My Soul" from season 13 and "Old Scars, Future Hearts" from season 14.

However, after almost two decades in the role, Pompeo is keen to see the show reach its conclusion.

What did Ellen Pompeo say about wanting 'Grey's Anatomy' to end?

In an interview with Insider, Pompeo reflected on her life outside of Grey's Anatomy and how she has launched her own company Betr Remedies.

Discussing her hopes for the show, the actor admitted that she felt the medical drama didn't have many storylines left to tell that it hadn't done already.

She explained: "I've been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end.

"​I feel like I'm the super naive one who keeps saying, 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?' And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'"

This isn't the first time that Pompeo has reflected on Grey's Anatomy coming to an end, as she previously hinted that Season 17 "could" have been the last when her contract was up for renewal.

In October 2020, Pompeo told Variety: "I mean, this is the last year of my contract right now... I don't know that this is the last year? But it could very well could be."

At the time, she expressed her concerns with what the show could do "creatively" but said she wouldn't "take the decision [of leaving] lightly" because it would result in the show ending.

Of course it turned out that Season 17 in fact wasn't the show's last season, and, given Pompeo's remarks, it's unlikely Season 18 will be either.

What are the ratings for 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 18?

As of writing, 8 episodes of Season 18 have been aired so far and, while the ratings are lower than previous seasons, it only comes second to its spin-off show Station 19.

According to Showbuzz Daily, the show's season premiere was watched by 4.77 million people in the U.S., with Station 19 drawing in 5.03 million viewers.

The seventh episode of Grey's Anatomy's latest season, titled "Today Was a Fairytale", received the lowest ratings for the season so far.

It was watched by 3.64 million people on Thursday, December 9, while Station 19's seventh episode was seen by 4.07 million viewers, Showbuzz Daily reported.

Grey's Anatomy Season 18 returns to ABC on Thursday, February 24, 2022