Supporters of comedienne Ellen Degeneres have defended her decision to cross the picket line last Tuesday to film The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The TV star came under fire for not following the lead of fellow chat show hosts Dave Letterman or Jay Leno in showing her support for striking writers.

Ellen’s rep defended her actions on the grounds that she is the host of a syndicated show, not a network-owned programme, like Letterman or Leno.

A representative for DeGeneres says, "Ellen has a contract (to provide the show) as a host and a producer.

"Ellen is competing with other first-run syndicated shows that are delivering original programming like Dr. Phil, Regis & Kelly and Oprah during the competitive November sweeps period."

But the Writers Guild East slammed DeGeneres for her actions, releasing a statement that reads:

"Ellen's peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the writers and help them get a fair contract, Ellen has not. Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but her actions prove otherwise."