Ellen DeGeneres hated doing stand-up comedy.

She said: "It's horrible, you only do it if you have no other skills to fall back on."

Ellen now wants to be a design icon.

The 56-year-old star, who is preparing to launch her new lifestyle-and-clothing brand, E.D., early next year, says she plans to become a full-time designer when her self-titled series eventually comes to an end.

She told Vogue magazine: "When I someday decide to stop doing the show, my entire focus is going to be design."

The comedienne and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are worth an estimated $200 million, but Ellen insists she didn't grow up rich and believes everyone should have access to amazing furniture.

She said: "I still understand that everyone should be able to have great design in their home, so let me do it in a more accessible way.

"When I think about decorating, that's when I start to meditate."

The star - who regularly buys houses and revamps them before selling them for a profit - also claims she's made as much money from flipping properties as she has from her chosen career.

But Portia is eager to move to a farm in the future even though they already have three cats, three dogs, three horses and are both vegan.

She said: "I really am a farm girl. I would love sheep and goats, and I'd really like chickens. We need to get a farm."