Ellen busts thief…on air!

Let this be a lesson to criminals – in this day and age, big brother is watching.

…and apparently, so is Ellen.

Ellen DeGeneres recently caught an audience member stealing swag from her show.  She and her team set up a table for audience members with free items and a sign that said, “One item per person”.  Guests were unaware that Ellen was filming them but, for the most part, they were very honest.  Except for a woman named Nancy.

Nancy was caught on tape taking a handful of souvenirs.  And during the taping of the show, Ellen showed the embarrassing video – after which, Nancy was sent to “Ellen Jail”.

The video is obviously going viral, for it’s funny AND educational – I mean, would you want to risk grabbing an extra freebie in the future after watching THIS?  I think not…

Check it out below.