Ellen arrives in Australia

Ellen arrives in Australia
By admin


Chat show host Ellen DeGeneres has finally touched down on Australian soil, marking the start of a six-day visit that the local tourism industry hopes will boost the global profile of Australia.

The visit, originally postponed due to DeGeneres falling ill, is the result of a partnership between Qantas and Australian vitamin firm Swisse Wellness.

DeGeneres will film a series of segments for her show in New South Wales and Victoria, giving the states' attractions exposure to the show's global audience of more than 16 million people in 23 countries.

The TV personality and her crew arrived in Sydney this morning on a Qantas A380 renamed as The Ellen DeGeneres Show Express for the 14-hour flight from Los Angeles.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce described the filming of segments in Victoria and New South Wales as a "major coup" for tourism.

"Australia has already been a regular feature on The Ellen DeGeneres Show since this trip was announced in January," he said.

"The exposure so far, the coverage from this visit and the segments filmed in Australia to be screned as part of the show is priceless for the tourism industry."

When DeGeneres made the original announcement that the show would be coming Down Under, Qantas gave each member of the audience a free return trip to Sydney or Melbourne. So far, more than 100 audience members have already booked their flight, with a quarter of those opting to bring another person with them.

DeGeneres follows in the footsteps of Oprah Winfrey who made a much-hyped visit to Australia in December 2010.

 

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