Ellen DeGeneres forgot Katy Perry was married to Russell Brand and it's gloriously awkward

We all have our off days, Ellen

ellen degeneres katy perry
(Image credit: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

We all have our off days, Ellen

The Ellen DeGeneres Show is a lovely wholesome place, full of Taylor Swift pranks, viral YouTube babies and its easy breezy dancing host. However, things grew awkward fast at yesterday’s taping when Ellen DeGeneres forgot her guest Katy Perry had once been married to Russell Brand.

During a game of Will You Perry Me?, a spin on Would You Rather where Katy was asked which celebrity she found more attractive, the singer asked Ellen jokingly, ‘Do I have to get married again?’

After a pause in which Ellen looked visibly confused, the host said, ‘You were not married.’

‘I was, when I was 25,’ Katy corrected her, as a hush fell over the room.

‘Were you?’ Ellen asked.

The singer responded well to the gaff, quipping about how long ago the marriage had been before reminding Ellen in a stage whisper of her ex-husband Russell Brand. The former couple were married in India in 2010 and divorced in 2012, which Russell Brand has since said in an interview was partly due to their busy schedules and 'the undulating nature of fame'.

The painful embarrassment didn’t stop there for Ellen and Katy, as the pop star began making scissor motions to suggest that the segment would be edited out.

Katy delivered the cherry on top, ‘Remember you gave me some wedding gifts on the show?’

It was a total foot in mouth moment and glorious to watch. Luckily, they were saved from further awkwardness as they got the show back on track and launched into the game. Ellen pledged $10,000 towards the Boys & Girls Clubs of America on the condition that Katy be totally honest about her celebrity choices, who included Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hiddleston.

The pop star was perhaps a little too honest however and let slip, ‘What if I’ve like, kissed a bunch of these people already?’

As far as problems go, that’s not a terrible one to have.

Megan C. Hills

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.