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Michelle Obama Roasts Ellen DeGeneres for Making Her Do Wild Stunt in Her First Term in Office

michelle obama roasts ellen pushup challenge
Source: Good Hang with Amy Poehler/YouTube; MEGA

Michelle Obama roasted Ellen DeGeneres over a hilarious push-up stunt from her first term in office.

May 15 2025, Updated 7:54 a.m. ET

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Michelle Obama didn’t hold back when she recalled a hilarious moment with Ellen DeGeneres from over a decade ago.

During a candid chat with Amy Poehler on her "Good Hang" podcast, the two discussed the aches and surprises that come with aging. Poehler kicked things off by asking if Obama could still manage a few push-ups.

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amy poehler michelle obama aging talk
Source: Good Hang with Amy Poehler/YouTube

The author shared a hilarious experience she once had with Ellen DeGeneres.

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"I'm at the age where I'll wake up and my shoulder's sore," Obama admitted.

"Don't get me started," Poehler jumped in. "I had frozen shoulder a couple years ago. And guess what? Nobody knows what causes it and there's nothing you can do about it, like every ailment for women in their fifties."

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ellen degeneres pushups with michelle obama
Source: TheEllenShow/YouTube

Michelle Obama did push-ups on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.

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That’s when the former First Lady brought up her infamous appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

"Now I do them on my knees," Obama said. "This is another thing. I don't need to do regular push-ups. I have nothing to prove. I can, but it's my hard. My arm length doesn't go all the way down. You know who pointed that out was Ellen because in my first term, she challenged me to a push-up competition,” she said, laughing.

“I’m the first lady, you know,” Obama added.

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michelle obama ellen degeneres podcast moment
Source: TheEllenShow/YouTube

Ellen DeGeneres challenged her during her first term as first lady.

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She explained that DeGeneres brought up the challenge after hearing about her fitness routine.

“So, I’m on her show doing push-ups and I did more push-ups than her but she still says I didn’t go down all the way. Anatomically, I don’t think I can. My arms are very long, and she’s a much smaller person than me,” Obama joked.

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ellen show toxic workplace controversy
Source: MEGA

Michelle Obama joked that the show host had back issues before beating her with 25 push-ups.

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That memorable showdown happened in February 2012 during Obama’s first term in office. After the two chatted about her morning workouts, DeGeneres suddenly asked, "I was just wondering if you could do more push-ups than I could do."

Barack Obama’s wife playfully threw a jab back at the host, stating, "You know, it depends on how your back is. I know you've got these back issues."

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In the end, she did 25 push-ups and won the battle at the time.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show wrapped up in May 2022 after nearly 20 seasons, but the final years were overshadowed by an internal investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace involving racism and misconduct.

At the time, Ellen insisted the controversy wasn’t what pushed her to end the show. She told a news outlet that it was simply no longer “a challenge.”

Still, she opened up about the emotional toll of the backlash.

"I thought, if I could make people happy, they'll like me. And if they like me, I'll feel good about myself ... And all I can say about that is, thank god for the money!" she said.

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