Alison Sweeney to leave 'Days of Our Lives'

Alison Sweeney is leaving Days of Our Lives after 21 years in the show.

The 37-year-old soap opera star made the announcement while visiting Ellen DeGeneres's show on Monday.

"I decided that it's going to be my last year with the show," she said. "I've been on Days of Our Lives since I was 16 years old, and I have never had more than a two-week vacation in that whole time."

"I love my job, I love daytime, I love the fans. I love everything about it," she continued. "I just work so much and my daughter just turned 5 and my son is 9 and I just want to be with them."

Sweeney -- who also hosts The Biggest Loser -- said she's unsure when her last episode will air, but that she'll finish out this year on the show.

Asked about the future of her character, Sami Brady, the actress said she "deserves some sort of very twisted, like, Breaking Bad ending. She's caused a lot of people a lot of problems."