Shortly after Barack Obama made history on Wednesday (9 May) by becoming the first US president to publicly support gay marriage, Ellen DeGeneres got on Twitter to express her gratitude.

'Thank you President @BarackObama for your beautiful and brave words,' she tweeted. 'I’m overwhelmed.'

DeGeneres, who is married to actress Portia de Rossi, was among the famous people in the entertainment industry who were quick with praise.