'Ellen DeGeneres Show' ratings hit all-time low amid reports of host bullying staff in 'toxic' workplace
Overwhelmingly negative reports about the 'Ellen DeGeneres Show' have started affecting ratings of the talk show adversely as rankings hit an all-time low TRP at the end of last month. Amid reports of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct making for a "toxic" workplace at the talk show, the series ended up at a record low rating – 1.0, Live + Same Day household ratings, for the week ending July 26. According to The Wrap, the slip in ratings was a 9% drop from the previous week and 29% fall from the same period in summer last year.
Although other talk shows currently in summer reruns have also faced declines due to the coronavirus pandemic - with 'Dr. Oz,' dropping 22%, and shows like 'The Real' and 'The Doctors,' both down 20% - none of the suffered as big a drop as DeGeneres' daytime talk show.
Back in June, after allegations emerged of the comedian having a mean streak, we reported that the show had experienced record-low ratings. As the 62-year-old talk show host refused to address the rumors against her at the time, the ratings of DeGeneres's show reportedly fell 14% as the latest Season 17 recorded a low viewership of 1.2, which put her show behind shows like 'Live with Kelly and Ryan,' which had a 2.0 and 'Dr. Phil' with a 1.5. Before that, it hit its lowest point when it tied with 'Dr. Phil' a few weeks prior at 1.5. But even after that, it showed no signs of improving and instead, continued to slide in popularity.
Things got so bad that there were rumors of the show getting canceled. However, reps for the show's production company spoke to NY Post and said that 'Telepictures can confirm it's untrue'. Shortly after that, Buzzfeed and Variety published explosive reports were both current as well as former employees of the show claimed that they had to work in a "toxic" work environment.
Last week, DeGeneres finally wrote an open apology letter to her staffers, addressing allegations of a toxic workplace atmosphere. "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. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry," DeGeneres said in the memo. "As we've grown exponentially, I've not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on 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."
However, just hours after that, Buzzfeed released another report where lower-level staffers accused producers and showrunners of DeGeneres' show of sexual misconduct. As a result, there were fresh rumors that the show might be coming to an end soon.
An anonymous source at Telepictures told Daily Mail that the host is telling executives at the production house and Warner Bros that she wants to walk away from the show because she has had enough of the controversy which ranges from racism to bullying and now sexual harassment. “She feels she can’t go on and the only way to recover her personal brand from this is to shut down the show,” an insider told the outlet on Friday. “The truth is the racist host knew what was going on — it’s her show. The buck stops with her. She can blame every executive under the sun — but Ellen is ultimately the one to blame.”