The President of the United States of America awarded chat show host and TV personality Ellen DeGeneres with the country's highest civilian honour this week. 

Barack Obama gave DeGeneres the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her incredible influence on the gay rights movement and explained that she has helped to "push our country in the direction of justice".

Obama said: "It's easy to forget now, when we've come so far... just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago," he said during the award ceremony at the White House. What an incredible burden that was to bear - to risk your career like that - people don't do that very often. And then, to have the hopes of millions on your shoulders."

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Watch Ellen DeGeneres receiving the Medal of Freedom here: