AceShowbiz - Rosie O'Donnell isn't judging Ellen DeGeneres as the comic remains under fire over allegations of a "toxic" culture behind the scenes on her talk show.

The U.S. presenter has been under fire since allegations about her treatment of employees were first made in a BuzzFeed expose earlier this summer (20).

She issued an apology and two producers were let go from the programme following an investigation ordered by executives at WarnerMedia.

Speaking on the "Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best" podcast, Rosie admitted she has "compassion" for Ellen, who is known for her massive giveaways and helping out viewers on her show, insisting, "You can't fake your essence."

"That's why I have compassion for Ellen, right?" she explained. "I have compassion, even though, you know, I hear the stories and I understand. I think she has some social awkwardness."

The 58-year-old entertainer also admitted she hasn't appeared as a guest on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" because she's "terrified she's going to scare me and give me a heart attack" with one of Ellen's regular surprises.

Rosie, who hosted her own signature show from 1996 to 2002, also reflected on what it's like to present a programme, confessing it "wasn't like anything close to real life."

"You know, you get mass adulation from the multitudes every day like a shot of heroin in your arm," she shared. "You get people clapping at your very existence and then telling you how you altered their life, and it's a lot to take in. And when I stepped away, I knew that this was all I could take."