Poor Ellen DeGeneres has lost one million viewers for her daytime talk show following those infamous allegations of a toxic workplace.
It was one of the biggest stories in the entertainment world in 2020: the beloved Ellen – endearingly mimicked by SNL’s Kate McKinnon, LGBTQ+ icon, friend to seemingly everyone – was rocked by word of bullying and misconduct behind the scenes of her hugely popular The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It’s one way to ruin the legacy of voicing one of the most iconic Pixar characters of all time.
Anonymous former employees accused the show of fostering a toxic workplace, accused the executive producers of harassment, and alleged a general terrible atmosphere permeating the show.
An investigation by WarnerMedia was launched and it all culminated in three top executives departing as the show vowed to take steps to improve the culture.
Many were surprised, then, when Ellen and her show returned for an 18th season – that’s a strong innings, to be fair – last September. Ellen kicked it off by addressing the controversy for the first time, apologising to staff and fans.
That clearly hasn’t been enough for some though. As per The New York Times, Ellen has averaged 1.5 million viewers over the last six month period, strikingly down from 2.6 million for the same period last year.
Ellen now trails Live: With Kelly and Ryan and the much-maligned Dr. Phil in the daytime talk show ratings. She’s also faced increased competition from the likes of the cheery and much-loved Kelly Clarkson.
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The show was famous for attracting a core demographic of women under the age of 54 but this has been reduced too, down 38% in this category. They’ve also lost around 20% in advertising revenue, which isn’t as unexpected.
Telepictures executive vice president David McGuire was quick to find something else to blame in a statement given to the New York Times, stating that the decline in ratings was down to the COVID-19 pandemic (which undeniably has played its part, certainly).
“While broadcast is down across the board and Covid has been challenging for production, we are looking forward to bringing back our live audiences and a 19th season filled with all of the hilarious and heartwarming moments that have made Ellen one of the longest running and most successful talk shows in history,” he said.
Check out Ellen’s first monologue of season 18 and her apology:
