Ellen DeGeneres. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
With barbed accusations from former and current staffers being flung, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has seen views slump to an all-time low.
According to The Wrap, as the scandal about Ellen DeGeneres’ “mean” behaviour sizzles, people have become less inclined to tune in to her beloved daytime talk show.
Rating have cratered by a thumping 29 per cent in the last month compared to last year. While ratings dropped by nine per cent compared to last week’s statistics.
Ratings for The Ellen DeGeneres Show crater as accusations continue.
On the same week that Buzzfeed News published an explosive report on the allegedly toxic work culture of the syndicated show, ratings fell by 27 per cent compared to the prior year.
Overall, reruns of the program have drawn a 1.0 Live + Same Day household rating in the week ended July 26, according to Nielsen.
DeGeneres, 62, has scrambled to repair her once bright and polished reputation as a sunny television presenter. She has long been plagued by rumours of “notoriously mean” behaviour behind the cameras, but the floodgates opened earlier this year when a scathing Twitter thread alleged she is “one of the meanest people alive“.
Allegations of racism, bullying and even sexual misconduct prompted an internal investigation launched by WarnerMedia.
The host later apologised to staff, saying she would seek to “correct the issues” moving forward. But rumours have heaved that she is considering quitting the show altogether to “recover her personal brand”.
A roster of celebrities have also rushed to defend her.
Both Katy Perry and Kevin Hart chimed in with messages of support to the embattled television personality, auctioning off declarations of how “positive” and “respectful” she is.
“I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen,” Perry wrote.
The singer weathered intense criticism for her statement, with many pointing out the obvious: that a celebrity would no doubt have a different experience to the less powerful staffers who have lodged complaints.
Similar sentiments were levelled at Hart, who said that DeGeneres treated him, his team and family “with love and respect from day one”.
The comic is no stranger to an online firestorm. He was forced to drop out of hosting the 2019 Oscars after homophobic tweets resurfaced. DeGeneres encouraged him to reconsider his decision when he appeared on her show in 2019.