Ellen DeGeneres buys back ranch after a shock announcement – see inside one of her former Montecito homes

Following the news that Ellen DeGeneres will be ending her eponymous daytime talk show after nearly twenty-years in the spotlight, she has bought back a ranch she’d previously sold in Montecito, California.

The impressive home is next door to a 70-acre estate owned by Oprah Winfrey, and is also nestled in a neighborhood that is also home to Rob Lowe, Tyler Perry, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

See: World's best homes – tour the globe’s most beautiful houses 

Previously, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi sold their former Santa Barbara home, featured below, for $45 million – despite declaring ‘I really do hope we live here forever’ in her 2015 book Home.

'The talk show host and actress couple bought the Montecito property in 2013 for $26.5 million.

Known affectionately as 'The Villa', this home draws inspiration from classic 17th-century Italian villas. 

The stone house was designed by architect Wallace Frost as his own home after he returned from the Italy in the 1930s. 

Decades later, acclaimed architectural designer John Saladino fell in love with its 'mix of grandeur and modesty' and commenced a five-year meticulous restoration of the property for his personal use, followed by its current owners.

Ellen and Portia purchased the The Villa in 2013 and expanded the estate through the acquisition of two adjacent properties, which now totals 16.88 acres. 

The couple spared no expense in modernizing the historic property for a relaxed California lifestyle. 

Designed with modern rustic interiors, the 10,500-square-foot home includes six bedrooms, eight baths, nine fireplaces, multiple libraries, a marble-wrapped chef’s kitchen and formal rooms.  

An indoor-outdoor entertaining pavilion was built from stone excavated on-site with hand-made iron windows. 

The couple also added a lap pool, sunken championship tennis court and installed state-of-the-art irrigation, mechanical, electronic and security systems.  

And, once you're done, you can see more of the world's best homes on our dedicated page. 

The listing agent is Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby’s International Realty. 

Thanks to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com for letting us share this spectacular home.

Where does Ellen DeGeneres live now?

After Ellen DeGeneres announced that she would be cancelling her popular daytime show after nearly two decades, the TV personality sold all the properties in the Beverly Hills area. 

It has been wildly reported that DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi would be moving back to Montecito on a more permanent basis. There have even been hints about moving to Australia. 

See: Ellen DeGeneres’ home – explore her stylish Beverly Hills sanctuary

Over the past year DeGeneres has dealt with unflattering portrayals of what it’s like to work on the show bearing her name. Recently she said that her exit was planned, and that she’s looking for new creative challenges.