Ratings on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show are down – way down.
Amid a scandal that the show’s work culture is rife with bullying, racism and sexual harassment, The Wrap reported that the daytime talk show garnered only a 1.0 Live + Same Day rating though the week spanning July 26.
To put the rating in perspective, the show’s numbers were 29 percent down from last year’s period, and nine percent down from the prior week.
The latest: Ratings on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show are down amid a scandal that the show’s work culture is rife with bullying, racism and sexual harassment, as the daytime talk show garnered only a 1.0 Live + Same Day rating though the week spanning July 26
The show – which is in the midst of an internal probe from parent company WarnerMedia amid allegations of a toxic work culture – has seen more significant declines than other talk shows, which are down as viewing habits shift amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Oz was down 22 percent, and The Real and The Doctors have seen 20 percent declines, according to the outlet.
In July, staffers on the syndicated daytime talk show had cited a number of the show’s executive producers in their complaints, including Kevin Leman and Ed Glavin.
Last week, DeGeneres told staffers she was sorry about what was going on, in a memo addressing the ongoing controversy.
Mea culpa: Last week, DeGeneres told staffers she was sorry about what was going on, in a memo addressing the ongoing controversy
DeGeneres said she was unable to ‘stay on top of everything’ with her hosting duties and delegated to ‘others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done
‘On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,’ she wrote. ‘Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.’
DeGeneres said she was unable to ‘stay on top of everything’ with her hosting duties and delegated to ‘others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done.
‘Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again… I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop.’
Support: Ellen’s wife Portia de Rossi posted a graphic on Instagram saying, ‘I stand by Ellen’ in what appeared to be an attempt to push public sentiment back in the corner of the talk show host
She added: ‘As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.’
Celebs who have gone public against Ellen include Brad Garrett and Lea Thompson, while celebs who’ve emerged in defense of the embattled talk show host, including Scooter Braun, DJ/musician Samantha Ronson and Ellen’s wife of 12 years Portia de Rossi.
Portia who posted a graphic on Instagram saying, ‘I stand by Ellen’ in what appeared to be an attempt to push public sentiment back in the corner of the talk show host. ‘To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support,’ Portia wrote Monday, adding the hashtags, #stopbotattacks, #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres and #IStandByEllen.
A source told the New York Post that the talk show host has been ‘crushed,’ ‘devastated’ and ‘hysterical’ amid calls for her to leave the show,
‘She felt like everything she worked so hard for was falling apart,’ the insider said.
Sources told the publication that Ellen’s career problems might step from an incident last fall in which she was seen seen with former president George W. Bush watching a Dallas Cowboys home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Her character also came under fire in late March after a series of tweets from comic Kevin T. Porter (linked to a charity drive for the Los Angeles Food Bank), who requested his followers post ‘insane’ tales of ‘Ellen being mean,’ which blew up on social media with much feedback.