Ellen DeGeneres is known for surprising her audience or guests on her show with acts of generosity. She often supplies them with mind-blowing gifts, gives them money towards a cause, life need, or to foster talent. For her 60th birthday celebration on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, those in the studio audience received the most significant prize the host as ever given out - a cool $1 million.
"Everybody in the audience is here for a special reason. All season long, I partnered with Cheerios to encourage people to do ‘One Million Acts of Good’, and if you’re here in my audience, you helped us reach that goal," the comedian said to her crowd for Friday's episode. Ellen went on to recognize some of the acts of kindness that some people did. Teacher Lori Gaines donated a kidney to one of her student's mother. Dan McKernan quit his job and started a sanctuary for farm animals. Kenya and John Hughes drove a U-Haul over 800 miles to give aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey on their own dime.
"There’s no better way for me to celebrate my birthday than to share it with people like you."
To honor those million acts of good, Ellen and Cheerios surprised everyone in the audience with $1,000,000. She told the audience "a special surprise gift" would be given to anyone who had a Cheerios box under their seat. It just so happened that everyone had a box under their seat, Ellen smiled at the "coincidence."
“You’re all gonna share this gift,” she added. “It’s the biggest gift I have ever given anybody ever, and I hope you continue to pay it forward and share all the good. Hold on to your Cheerios because all of you are splitting $1 million.”
Watch the audience's reaction in the clip above.
