Watch: Ellen admits she never thought she'd be able to come out

As one of the world’s most loved and outspoken LGBT figures, it’s hard to think of a time that Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t comfortable with her sexuality, but it was only in 1997 that the comic actress took the plunge and came out to the world.

Now, the 57-year-old has recounted her anxieties in the run up to simultaneously coming out in the press and on her sitcom Ellen in 1997, admitting her fear of public opinion meant she thought she’d remain in the closet forever.

“I didn’t think I was going to come out. Period,” she says during the candid film for Oprah’s Master Class. “And I didn’t think I’d be coming out on a show, ever.”

She continues: “What came out of listening to what I had been saying to myself is, ‘Would I still be famous? Would they still love me if they knew I was gay?’ And my fear was, ‘No, they wouldn’t.'”

Watch a clip from the interview below:

Watch: Ellen admits she never thought she’d be able to come out

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