Ellen Pompeo talks 'Grey's Anatomy' exit, kissing Patrick Dempsey and Scott Speedman

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Kate Walsh on returning to 'Grey's Anatomy' and Ellen Pompeo's exit from the 'beloved' show

Kate Walsh talks to Fox News Digital about why she returned to "Grey's Anatomy" and Ellen Pompeo's departure from the medical drama.

After quietly addressing her departure from the long-running medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" earlier this fall, Ellen Pompeo is finally revealing why she left her hit TV show 19 seasons after she started.

"I gotta mix it up a little bit," she explained on the Drew Barrymore Show. "I’m 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs…I gotta do something new or I’m gonna literally turn into like - you can’t do the New York Times crossword puzzle every single day. I mean nineteen years, that’s longer than people keep their kids in their house, like people keep their kids in their house until they’re eighteen and then they send them off to college, so this is like me like going away to college kind of."

Last month, Pompeo penned a love-letter to her supportive fans after appearing in one of her final episodes of the current 19th season. "This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit," she wrote to her Instagram.

Pompeo told Barrymore of her exit, "I feel super happy… listen the show has been incredible to me and…I've loved a lot of the experience."

Ellen Pompeo decided to leave her role as the star of "Grey's Anatomy" this past year after season 19 debuted. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Pompeo has lead the ensemble cast as Dr. Meredith Grey since the show premiered in 2005.

As the lead, she has had several love interests on the show, most notably Patrick Dempsey who played her husband Dr. Derek Shepherd until his death in season 11.

For the past few seasons, Scott Speedman has played Dr. Nick Marsh, her new love interest. 

Patrick Dempsey, right, and Scott Speedman have starred as Ellen Pompeo's primary love-interests over the course of 19 seasons. (Theo Wargo/Mondadori Portfolio)

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Barrymore was not shy about asking if any of Pompeo's co-stars in particular were "easier to kiss."

"You know I love Patrick Dempsey. I love him… and him, and we had a great time together, and I also love Scott Speedman, my current love," she said of the men she has kissed on the show.

When Barrymore asked, "How fun is Speedman?" Pompeo responded, "Speedman is hot. Speedman is very hot."

Scott Speedman's first episode of "Grey's Anatomy" was in season 14. (Liliane Lathan/ABC)

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In real life, Pompeo has been married to her husband Chris Ivery for 15 years. The couple share three children together.