With a top-rating TV talk show, a year-old marriage and a new career as a model, it seems Ellen DeGeneres has finally hit her stride after a bumpy ride that included a cancelled sitcom and a painful break-up with actor Anne Heche.

And although she's thrilled to be considered a beauty role model at 51, after landing a gig as the face of a cosmetics campaign, Ellen says it's much better to finally be truly happy.

"It's sad to be defined by beauty, because it's something that goes away and changes," she tells The Lowdown. "If you're trying to chase that forever, you're in trouble.

"As I've aged and matured, I just feel better about myself, more confident and more comfortable in my own skin. As that's happened, I think I look better than I've ever looked, because that's just what happens when you feel better about yourself."

And it seems that Ellen credits one thing in particular for her glow — being married to former Geelong girl, Portia de Rossi. Asked when she felt the most beautiful, she doesn't even hesitate.

"The day I got married," Ellen says, tears welling in her eyes. "Excuse me, it's just very emotional.

"You find the person you love, you think you've come this far … and anyway, I never thought I'd have a wedding, and I did, and it meant more than I imagined."